South African businesswoman Basetsana Kumalo is among the richest women in the country as she sits on an estimated $5 million net worth.
This enterprising woman is known for her vast business ventures as well as investments in numerous leading companies in her home country. Interestingly, Basetsana was also a former Beauty Queen as well as a former Miss Word Runner-up. These great strides opened a lot of opportunities for her and it is believed that her current affluence and wealth is credited to her pageantry career.
How Basetsana Kumalo Made Her Estimated $5 Million Net Worth
Being a South African ex-beauty queen and a former runner-up for the Miss World pageant has its benefits. For Basetsana Kumalo, those benefits have not only made her famous but have also enriched her pockets. However, although her pageantry career is notable for putting her on the path of success, Basetsana would later go on to horn her entrepreneurial abilities and this eventually paid her off well. No mention has been made about how much she earns specifically from her business ventures but for her cumulative worth, the figure is more than $5 million.
1. Her Remarkable Pageantry Career
Basetsana Kumalo started her beauty career as a teenage girl back in Soweto, competing in various local pageants. At age 16, she won the Miss Soweto Pageant, however, even at this stage, the young Basetsana was still not bent on taking up pageantry as a full-time career. According to reports, she wanted to venture into teaching just like her mother, Beatrice Makgalemele, but as fate would have it, that never happened.
Basetsana’s mum was even the person who stirred her daughter towards her pageantry career as she would go on to register her for the 1994 Miss South Africa Beauty Pageant which she won. More so, that same year, she participated in the Miss World 1994 pageant and emerged as the 1st runner up which made her the Miss World Africa.
2. A Successful Television Career
During Basetsana’s reign as Miss South Africa, she launched her career as a TV presenter as she was seen anchoring the notable lifestyle TV show, Top Billing. Later on, she teamed up with Patience Stevens, the show’s producer to set up Tswelopele Productions in which she had a 50% stake. The company would eventually grow to become one of the major employers of labor in the coming years and Top Billing which was produced for SABC3 became its flagship brand.
Sometime in 1999, Tswelopele Productions would merge with Union Alliance Media in order to get listed on the JSE Securities Exchanged SA. This added yet another milestone to Batsetsana’s achievements as she was one of the youngest women directors of African origin to join the South African mainstream economy. More so, the success of Top Billing in the years that followed earned the Tswelopele brand more projects like the notable Afrikaans Magazine show, Pasella, which airs on SABC2 as well as the Swati youth program, Seskohona, that airs on SABC1.
With regards to her recent TV appearance, Basetsana was on the Miss South Africa 2016 Beauty Pageant which was held in Gauteng, South Africa. The show which was aired on the M-Net and Mzansi Magic networks featured her as a guest judge.
3. Basetsana Has Numerous Businesses & Investments
Being born into a family that was hardworking – her father was a bus driver and her mother was a teacher, Basetsana Kumalo learned how to work and become street savvy at a very young age. As at then, she hawked sandwiches to help her family financially and the vibrant lady did not lose her ‘hustling skills’ even when the money started rolling in as a young adult.
The initial business she ventured into was clothing back in 2000 with the launch of Stature Ladies Wear by Bassie. Her products were distributed solely by Ackerman’s department before she shut it down. About 2 years after her clothing line began to operate, she would go on to start an eyewear line under the same name, as well as a cosmetic line.
In 2008, the businesswoman became a shareholder in Tawana via her investment firm, Pro Direct 189. More so, Basetsana is a member of the boards of several establishments, including Unipalm Investment Holdings, Tactic Group Limited, Vhangana Energy Resources, SME Financial Holdings Limited, PHAB Holdings, Morongwa Investment Holdings, Seven Falls, and Q2 Petroleum.
4. The Ex-Beauty Queen Is An Accomplished Writer
In addition to her many business sides, Basetsana is also an accomplished writer who began to explore her talent as a writer back in 2004 when she contributed to the book, ”Inspirational Women at Work”. She has also been featured on ”Recipes from the Heart” alongside several other top South African celebrities.
More so, she serves as the editor-at-large for Top Billing Magazine and had worked as Beauty Editor for the Drum Magazine during her reign as S.A’s Beauty Queen. Basetsana is also credited as the author of the 2019 book, “Basse: My Journey to Hope”.
5. She Has Also Raked In Huge Sums From Endorsement Deals
Over the years, Basetsana Kumalo has enjoyed several endorsement deals and some of the top brands she has represented include Revlon – she was the face of Revlon Realistic Hair Care products that were sold in Sub-Saharan Africa as well as the international market. Basetsana was also an ambassador for BriteSmile and she is known to have made a couple of appearances on their website.
Recently in 2021, she announced yet another lucrative endorsement deal with a top automobile in SA. This announcement was made when S.A media personality Minnie Dlamini dropped the latest Range Rover Sport – the carbon edition meant to be eco-friendly. Although she did not reveal how much she will earn from this new deal, it is speculated that her car from the company costs up to R3 million.
Recap of Basetsana Kumalo’s Endorsements
- Revelo
- BriteSmile
- Range Rover Sport
Basetsana Massive Net Worth is Reflected in Her Luxurious House
The former Beauty Queen turned Businesswoman lives in a mansion fit for someone with her title. Her home in Saddlebrook Estate is not only located in one of the choicest places in South Africa but it also exudes a lot of elegance – it should as its believed to have a current market value of more than R25 million.
One of the features which have made Basetsana’s 5 bedroom house very popular is its landscape. It’s a true reflection of the beauty of nature as one won’t help but be mesmerized by the greenery that surrounds the house.
Standing at the balcony in this mansion gives a vast view of the surroundings as well as a glimpse of both the sunset. Inside the house is equally as exotic as its exterior. From several pictures, Basetsana has shared with her family, it’s known that the house has a fully fitted kitchen that is also very spacious to accommodate the family to have their meals together. The hallway is also well decorated with family pictures and a black piano can also be seen there.
At this point, if you are wondering whether Basetsana actually bought such a house, the answer is an emphatic yes! She actually acquired this masterpiece at age 21 and she had mentioned that she did so after her mother advised her to buy her own house instead of lavishing money on expensive rides.
The Ex-Beauty Queen Disbureses A Huge Chunk of Her Money To Charity
Together with her husband, Basetsana has been able to set up the Romeo & Basetsana Kumalo Family Foundation with the aim of providing assistance to children who had been made orphans after their parents died of AIDS or any other associated disease.
The Ex-Beauty Queen has also worked alongside former first lady Graça Machel in the Each One Reach Five campaign in 2007. She took the HIV test publicly in order to encourage people to come out and get tested. Basetsana also played a crucial role in raising money for the Baragwanath Children’s Hospital with the assistance of Dr. Precious Moloi-Motsepe.
More so, Basetsana is known to have partnered with the Hollywood actress Salma Hayek sometime in 2012 as a UN spokesperson to campaign against maternal tetanus and neonatal deaths.