South Africa’s Former World Boxing Champion Zolani Tete Shot Dead

South African boxing has been plunged into mourning after former two-time world champion Zolani “Last Born” Tete was shot dead outside his home in Mdantsane, Eastern Cape, on Friday, August 21, 2026.

The 38-year-old had reportedly just returned from the gym when two armed men wearing balaclavas ambushed him as he waited for his gate to open. A 27-year-old woman travelling with him was also shot several times and taken to hospital. Police have launched a murder investigation, but the motive remains unclear.

Tete leaves behind a remarkable boxing legacy. He won the IBF junior-bantamweight world title in 2014 before capturing the WBO bantamweight crown in 2017. That same year, he made boxing history with an astonishing 11-second knockout of fellow South African Siboniso Gonya, the fastest knockout in a world-title fight.

His career record stood at 29 wins, including 22 knockouts, four defeats and one no-contest. After his last fight in 2022, Tete served a four-year doping suspension, which ended just weeks before his death. He had been training for a comeback and was hoping to return to the ring later this year.

Beyond the titles and records, Tete was a source of pride for Mdantsane and the Eastern Cape, a region known for producing some of South Africa’s finest boxers. His death has therefore left a deep void in the country’s boxing community.

A champion who had fought his way to the top of the world was preparing for another comeback. Instead, his life was tragically cut short outside the place he called home.

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