An investigative report published by News24 has revealed that Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma, the leader of the populist anti-illegal immigration movement March and March, alongside her husband, Xolani Zuma, have secured nearly R12 million in government contracts since 2021.
The revelations, spearheaded by investigative journalist Khaya Koko, have sparked widespread public interest and intense political discourse across South Africa.
The findings expose a stark contrast between the couple’s public, aggressive opposition to state immigration policies and their concurrent financial reliance on state procurement.
The Scale of State Funding
According to Treasury procurement data obtained during the investigation, the majority of the lucrative state business was channelled through the provincial government of KwaZulu-Natal.
The primary vehicle for these funds is a family-owned entity called XJ Family Enterprise, where both Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma and Xolani Zuma serve as directors.
The core allocations detailed in the News24 Investigation involve XJ Family Enterprise securing a multimillion-rand agricultural support contract valued at roughly R10.5 million from the KZN Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.
Additionally, Zuma and Partners Incorporated (solely directed by Xolani Zuma) received over R1 million in legal service payments from KZN Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, while Sodelwa Trading obtained smaller sums for advertising and Covid-19 relief.
Political and Security Fallout
March and March leader Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma (C) leads demonstrators as they chant slogans during a protest against undocumented migrants organised by the March and March and Operation Dudula groups in Cape Town on May 23, 2026. (Photo by RODGER BOSCH / AFP)
This financial ties have drawn heavy criticism given the couple’s vocal anti-immigrant and anti-state rhetoric through March and March and SA First Forum.
The investigation also escalated when Ngobese-Zuma published the journalist’s unmasked cellphone number on Facebook after declining to comment, leading to severe online abuse and death threats against Khaya Koko.
News24 responded with a legal demand holding her responsible for the harassment, while Ngobese-Zuma dismissed the report as an unverified distraction.
