Former world champion boxer Zolani Tete has been shot dead outside his home in Mdantsane, Eastern Cape, South Africa, at the age of 38.
Tete was reportedly arriving at his residence and waiting for the gate to open when two armed men wearing balaclavas emerged from a vehicle and opened fire, according to police.
A 27-year-old woman who was travelling with the boxer was also reportedly shot multiple times and taken to hospital.
South Africa’s Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture, Gayton McKenzie, confirmed Tete’s death on Friday and said authorities had launched an investigation into the shooting.
“I will not speculate about who did this or why,” McKenzie said, as the motive behind the attack remained unclear.
Tete, widely known by his nickname “Last Born”, built a distinguished career across two weight divisions and became one of South Africa’s most notable world champions.
He won the IBF junior-bantamweight title in 2014 after defeating Japan’s Teiru Kinoshita in Kobe. He later captured the WBO bantamweight championship in 2017.
Tete made boxing history in November 2017 when he knocked out fellow South African Siboniso Gonya in just 11 seconds in Belfast. The victory remains the fastest stoppage in a world title fight and came during Tete’s reign as WBO bantamweight champion.
He held the WBO title until 2019 before continuing his professional career.
His death comes shortly after the conclusion of a four-year suspension imposed following a positive test for the anabolic steroid stanozolol after his 2022 fight against Jason Cunningham.
The suspension ended on July 29, 2026, and Tete had reportedly been planning a return to professional boxing.
Police investigations into the fatal shooting are ongoing, while the identities of those responsible and the motive for the attack have yet to be established.
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