Businessman and motivational speaker Vusi Thembekwayo is back in the headlines—but not for one of his rousing talks on success. This time, he’s been hit with a multimillion-rand lawsuit.

Thembekwayo, who’s built a name as one of South Africa’s most recognisable business personalities, is being accused by his former business partner, Rovian Justin Naidoo, of fraud. Naidoo claims he wasn’t paid for work he did for My Growth Fund Venture Partners.

According to Naidoo, he negotiated a rental deal that saved the company big bucks, and in return, was promised 50% ownership of the business. But that share never came. And now he’s taking Thembekwayo to court for over R13 million.

Thembekwayo, meanwhile, has dismissed the allegations as “untrue, baseless, and sensationalist.”

It’s not the first time Thembekwayo has had drama follow him—he’s faced public controversies before. But this latest court battle could put a serious dent in the slick, successful image he’s worked so hard to cultivate.

“I will never tolerate extortion, intimidation, or any misuse of the legal system to achieve illegitimate outcomes.

Importantly, fraud is a criminal offence, not a matter of civil litigation. If Mr Justin Rovian Naidoo genuinely believed fraud had occurred, the appropriate course of action would have been to open a criminal case with the South African Police Service — a step I have invited him to take several times. He has chosen not to because no fraud occurred,” the statement read. 

It is not the first time Thembekwayo has made headlines for all the wrong reasons. Here’s a recap.

🔹 Domestic abuse case with ex-wife

In 2021, Thembekwayo’s ex-wife, Palesa Mahlolo, accused him of assaulting her during a fight—claiming he dragged her out of bed, slapped her several times, and forced her into a car. A serious case of gender-based violence? Maybe. But the charges were later dropped after Palesa changed her story and couldn’t recall key details.

Thembekwayo denied everything, saying Palesa was dealing with substance abuse. The couple, who married in 2020 and have three children, also battled in court over a R4 million property in Steyn City. They’ve since gone their separate ways.

🔹 Mentorship or money-maker?

Then there’s his long-running beef with radio host Sizwe Dhlomo. What started as petty jabs on social media has morphed into a full-blown defamation lawsuit, currently before the Pretoria High Court.

Dhlomo accuses Thembekwayo of using his mentorship programmes not to uplift but to cash in—calling them “enrichment schemes”. The drama dates back nearly a decade!

🔹 Fake qualifications?

As the two sparred over taxes on Twitter, Dhlomo threw another jab: accusing Thembekwayo of faking qualifications from Hult International Business School and getting kicked off the board of the Southern African Venture Capital and Private Equity Association as a result. Yikes.

As Biggie said: more money, more problems…

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