Actress and DJ Thuli Phongolo is under fire after her side business, Phongolo Properties, came under scrutiny for allegedly reselling government-issued RDP houses.
The company, which Thuli co-runs with her sister Marcia, has been marketing homes in Soweto, including a R1.5 million 12-bedroom house in Mapetla and an RDP home in Braamfischerville listed for R370,000.
Photos of the listings shared on the company’s official Facebook page quickly went viral, sparking heated debate online.
While some applauded Phongolo for venturing into property and attempting to create housing opportunities, many criticised both the condition and pricing of the homes.
“These properties look abandoned,” one user commented, while another added: “Wanting cash only for properties that look abandoned and occupied by pharas makes so much sense.”
A further critic wrote: “That house that is going for 1.5m is right opposite hostela. There’s also an Engen and a Usave 2 minutes away, but they have been trying to sell that property for years now because of crime.”
This isn’t Thuli’s first involvement in property. Earlier in 2025, she purchased a lavish new home and even put her own mansion on the market for R7.3 million.
The latest controversy, however, has raised questions about the ethics of reselling low-cost government housing meant to benefit South Africa’s most vulnerable citizens.
