Biography
Nomfundo Mcoyi (born January 27, 1975) is a South African entrepreneur, businesswoman, and former teacher. She is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of the KwaZulu-Natal-based Icebolethu Funeral Group. The group employs over 1500 people.
Mcoyi built her business without a single loan. It has grown into an empire offering funeral and financial services with branches throughout KwaZulu-Natal.
Having South Africans living abroad in mind, she created a branch in the precinct of Canary Wharf in London.
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| Quick Facts | |
| Full Name: | Nomfundo Mcoyi |
| Date of Birth: | January 27, 1975 (age 48 years old) |
| Place of Birth: | Hammarsdale, KwaZulu-Natal |
| Nationality: | South African |
| Relatives: | Bakhaliphicebo (grandfather) |
| Spouse: | Khaya Bhengu (div.) Bahle Zondo (m. 2023) |
| Children: | 3 |
| Occupation: | Entrepreneur, businesswoman, former teacher |
| Company: | Icebolethu |
Early Life
Nomfundo Mcoyi was born on January 27, 1975, in South Africa. She is from a family known for business and grew up in Hammarsdale.
Bakhaliphicebo, her grandfather, was the first to launch the first business complex in Hammarsdale. She lived in Richmond from Grade 2 to Grade 9.
Career
After graduating from Edgewood College in 1996, Nomfundo spent eight years at Zwakele Primary School in Inanda. In 2000, she started a catering business with her husband and later a butchery in the CBD and an Umbilo-based corner café.
Eventually, Mcoyi stopped working as a teacher to dedicate more time to her business. She has a passion for her business – Icebolethu Group. She is a finalist in the Entrepreneur of the Year competition sponsored by Sanlam and Business/Partners.
Icebolethu Group has 1500 staff in 120 branches and 12 mortuaries across KwaZulu-Natal. It also has 100 staff in a state-of-art Durban call center.
In 2008, Mcoyi left the hospitality and food industry for her husband to run the businesses. She began to expand Icebolethu in her second year of business.
Mcoyi launched her first funeral parlor with five staff in Hammarsdale. In 2015, she opened a branch in Canary Wharf in London. It offers funeral cover and services redeemable in the UK or at home.
According to IOL, she is about to develop her first private cemetery in Cliffdale after discovering the dire shortage of grave sites in municipal cemeteries.
Icebolethu’s Policies and Services
The business has products and services ranging from:
- undertaking
- tombstones
- caskets
- funeral organization
- cash payouts and funeral catering services
- ambulance response
- legal advice
- a 24-hour call center
- counseling services
Businesses
Mcoyi is a member of the South African Funeral Practitioners Association and the CEO of her group. She runs the following businesses:
- Icebolethu Funerals
- Icebolethu Financial Services
- Lily of the Valley Memorials
- Ikhayelihle Tombstones
- Icebolethu Catering
- Icebolethu Foundation
Philanthropy
Nomfundo Mcoyi gives back to society by mentoring the youth, especially girls. Icebolethu sponsored a 100 Scarce Skills Career Day at the Durban Exhibition Centre in Durban Exhibition Centre.
Rhoda Girls also benefits from her mentorship program, in which successful businesspeople will mentor 50 girls at a particular moment. The objective is to help them secure their future and reach their potential.
Personal Life
Nomfundo Mcoyi married Khaya Bhengu, a widower and police captain. It was love at first sight when the couple met. Their wedding flower arrangement ranges from deep purple to blush pink.
Nomfundo divorced her first husband in 2009. After the couple ended the union, she lost everything to him. She is a proud mother of three. In January 2023, she got married to Bahle Zondo in an extravagant wedding at The Apurva Kempinski Bali Hotel in Bali, Indonesia. The wedding ceremony took 120 guests.