The luxurious car fleet once flaunted by Hamilton Ndlovu, a former rising star in South Africa’s business community, was sold at auction today.
Story Summary:
- Hamilton Ndlovu’s seized luxury car fleet, including Porsches and a Lamborghini, was auctioned today.
- The cars were part of assets seized after Ndlovu was implicated in unlawful PPE tenders worth R172 million.
- The auction featured a Porsche 911, a Lamborghini Urus, and other high-end vehicles.
Hamilton Ndlovu car fleet sold on auction
The auction, which took place in Johannesburg, marked the liquidation of assets seized following Ndlovu’s involvement in fraudulent PPE tenders during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The vehicles up for auction included some of the most coveted models on the market: a 2020 Porsche 911 Carrera Cabriolet, a Lamborghini Urus 4.0 V8 (2019), a Porsche Panamera GTS (2019), and a Porsche Cayenne S (2020).
The auction drew considerable interest, with bidders eager to acquire these high-end cars, each a symbol of Ndlovu’s meteoric rise and equally swift downfall.
The auctioneer’s gavel came down swiftly on the Porsche Cayenne Sport, which was the first of Ndlovu’s cars to be sold.
With a retail price of about R1.6 million, the car was sold for R1.23 million.
The 2020 Porsche 911 Carrera Cabriolet, another prized possession, was snapped up for R1.8 million, just shy of its retail price of R2 million.
The Porsche Panamera GTS (2019) followed, selling for R1.36 million.
The star of the auction, however, was the 2019 Lamborghini Urus, which, after fierce bidding, fetched R4.34 million—well below its retail price of R7 million but still a testament to the car’s rarity and allure.
Graham Van Niekerk of Park Village Auctions described the Lamborghini Urus as “the star of the show,” noting its uniqueness on South African roads.
“When you drive out, you can see a Porsche Panamera and a Porsche 911, but rarely this one on the road. It’s a car that stands out,” he said.
A fall from grace: Hamilton Ndlovu’s rise and epic downfall
Hamilton Ndlovu first captured public attention in 2020 when he posted a video on social media showcasing the simultaneous purchase of several multimillion-rand sports cars.
The video, which featured the same cars that were auctioned today, was seen by many as a symbol of success and prosperity.
However, the display of newfound wealth quickly became a catalyst for scrutiny.
Ndlovu’s fortune, it turned out, was built on a foundation of corruption.
He was awarded 19 PPE tenders worth R172 million from the National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS), funds that were intended to combat the COVID-19 pandemic but were instead channelled into his personal accounts through a network of front companies.
The Special Tribunal declared these tenders unlawful and ordered Ndlovu to pay back at least R158 million, leading to the seizure of his assets, including the cars sold today.
The auction of Ndlovu’s luxury vehicles marks a significant chapter in the ongoing efforts by South African authorities to recover funds misappropriated during the pandemic.
According to the Special Investigating Unit (SIU), which spearheaded the investigation, the sale of these assets is a step toward holding those who exploit public resources accountable.
“The applicants should not be out of pocket as a result of the legal costs they incurred to preserve assets and to recover the losses to the State,” said Judge Lebogang Modiba, President of the Special Tribunal, in her ruling.
Kaizer Kganyago, a spokesperson for the SIU, emphasised that Ndlovu’s elaborate scheme was carefully orchestrated to deceive the NHLS and the public.
“Instead of operating at arm’s length and in competition with each other to supply PPE to the NHLS at the best available prices, the companies were a front whereby Mr Ndlovu could obtain multiple contracts from the NHLS at excessive prices without revealing his involvement in each of them,” Kganyago said.
Today’s auction, while a spectacle of wealth and power, was a poignant cautionary tale of how quickly fortunes can turn when built on unethical foundations.