Lebo Gunguluza Biography
Lebo Gunguluza is a South African entrepreneur , Inspirational Business Speaker and Dragon Investor on SA’s Dragons Den TV Show known as the “The Breakthrough Entrepreneur”.
Lebo Gunguluza Education Background
He has a bachelor of Commerce, Economics from the University of KwaZulu Natal
Lebo Gunguluza Career
Lebo Gunguluza career began at SABC where he was responsible of promoting the African Language stations, and later Metro FM.He then left for a broadcasting course in the US, and came back to join Herdbouys Advertising as Accounts Manager, where he managed key accounts like SA Breweries, Metro FM and the return of Hush Puppies to South Africa.
Lebo Gunguluza resigned from Herdbouys and secured his first business deal with the owner of a night club called Insomnia, where he put together entertainment attractions and marketed them in exchange for a percentage at the door. The success of this deal made him a well-known promoter in entertainment circles with a reputation for organizing the best parties in Johannesburg.
He partnered with YFM, a new youth radio station at that time, conceptualized major events that made him a big player and helped him reach a peak on his financial success through his sold-out youth events at Newtown’s Electric Workshop.
He established Gunguluza Entertainment where he started an independent record label and artist management unit which led him to form strategic partnerships with key promoters.The business later collapsed and he had to sell his car to pay debts.
In 2002 Lebo Gunguluza founded the Gem (Gunguluza Enterprises and Media) Group where he is the Executive chairman. GEM is an integrated media and hospitality group with interests in companies that serve in the media, communications, hospitality and IT spheres.
The company started turning over millions and Gunguluza had no experience in managing such high turnovers, and had no knowledge about investment markets. He then decided to acquire a million-rand building that the Gem Group was operating from and the rest of his new found wealth was spent acquiring more cars. He employed more than 40 people who were randomly recruited based on looks, friendship and family ties. He also travelled extensively overseas and started losing sight of his business operations. While overseas, one of his key projects took a big knock that affected his major account that used to succesfully sustain his busness. He came back early from his overseas trip to rescue the project, but it was too late. He lost that client and two other major clients all in the month of August 2004. This was the worst time of his life, as his company was fast going into debt. Within six month (mid 2005), Gunguluza was in debt of over R2-miliion and had to make some key decisions going forward. He fired most of his staff, sold some of his cars and businesses, but that did not help much. He finally closed the company for a while to settle his debts. Some the staff members took him to the CCMA, and had creditors houding him everyday for the next couple of months. The pressure became so much that he decided to close his cellphone line for a period of three months
An opportunity then existed to operate Primi Piatti in Rosebank. Gunguluza’s ex- wife went for training to run the restaurant, while he was negotiating payment terms with the creditors from the Gem Group of companies. The restaurant became a sustainable operation which provided a stable income for his household and gave Gunguluza a chance to re-establish new business opportunities. It took three years to settle the outstanding debt from the Gem Group. The restaurant became very popular and helped further profile Gunguluza as a sustainable and celebrated black entrepreneur in South Africa. They further recieved the most coveted Tenant’s Award for the Highest Growth in Turnover in their second year of operating the restaurant.
He further partnered with Uhuru Communications, the publishers of SAA’s Sawubona magazine, who also publish an arts & recreation magazine called Rootz and a campus publication Student Choice. He solidified his partnership by successfully launching a new publication called Municipal Focus, which covers the business of Local Government with a nationwide distribution to municipalities and government departments. He also took on an active role as a Commercial Director and had to set up the Johannesburg office to extend the publishing footprint in South Africa and Africa. He further secured the ultimate government publication that targets top government officials called Public Sector Manager to strengthen Uhuru’s portfolio of power magazines. He further initiated the publishing of the Metro FM publication called Metro Live, Joy of Jazz and Loocha under the Uhuru stable amongst other initiatives. To strengthen his publishing interest, he partnered with Realm Digital to drive his publishing interest into digital publishing. Mr. Gunguluza further acquired an interest in Ezweni to form the first 100% black owned magazine distribution agency in South Africa.
Lebo Gunguluza founded Intouch Africa Events and Intouch Consulting, a specialist events and communications agency which has given him the ultimate position of being the most powerful 100% black owned events production house in South Africa, hosting over 42 corporate and government related events a year. As a result of this, he acquired an interest in furniture hire and decor company, which houses over 7000 units of decor and furniture, with a manufacturing facility for customised requests.
Lebo Gunguluza is also the Director of Government Property Management (GovPro) which specialises in helping municipalities and government manage their land and immovable property better and enhance their revenues.
Lebo Gunguluza is one of the key founders and President of the South African Black Entrepreneurs Forum (SABEF) to address issues facing black entreprenuers in South Africa. He is also the co founder and Chairman of the Local Government Business Network (LGBN), a voluntary organisatoion established to promote the relationship between Local Government and the private sector.
Lebo Gunguluza established Izani Media and Hotels, administered by Izani Hotels which provides communications and hotel management solutions to forward thinking luxury hotels that want to provide a great guest experience.
In 2010 he launched Izani Travel which provides and manages executive travel solutions, hospitality and holiday packages for corporate, VIPs, government and high-end consumers.
On 12th December 2012 he launched The Izani which is an entrepreneurship developmental and mentorship initiative. It is known as 12-12-12 where he committed to recruit 12 entreprenuers, every 12 months to run 12 enterprises. The programme focused mainly on media, hospitality, communicationsand technology entrepreneurs, which supported more than 30 very dynamic young black entrepreneurs over the past four years.
In 2014 Lebo Gunguluza launched Gem Capital, the group’s venture capital and investment arm, which is already involved in a number of deals including a R230 Million infrastructure venture in the Northern Cape and R4.2 billion rand retail project in Ballito next to the King Shaka International Airport.
Lebo Gunguluza Awards
- Africa Heritage Youth Entrepreneur Award
- He was honoured by the Millionaires Club with the Leadership Award in May 2010.
- Bethesda Business Award for his contribution to the development of Entreprenuership in South Africa.
Lebo Gunguluza Wife
Lebo Gunguluza wife is Lebo Mokoena and they have one son.
Lebo Gunguluza Sex Tape
In July 2017 a sex video of Lebo Gunguluza and his wife was leaked. Gunguluza said that the video was taken two years ago when they were in holiday. He explained that his wife’s phone was stolen.
“We suspect that after the thieves discovered that I’m pretty well known they [decided to make] the video public,” said Gunguluza.There’s nothing wrong I did with my wife. It was our own private video that she wanted to keep at home. It was to keep memories of our holidays. We were having our own fun as a married couple and not cheating on anyone. We were being faithful. It’s important for families to practice fidelity.I was pleasing my wife and it ended up on wrong hands, unfortunately. Our privacy has been invaded. ”
Lebo Gunguluza Photo
Lebo Gunguluza
Lebo Gunguluza Video