South African boxing legend Zolani Tete, a two-time world champion who had recently completed a four-year doping ban and was preparing for a return to professional competition, was killed in a targeted ambush outside his Eastern Cape home on Friday. He was 38 years old.
According to official accounts, Tete was seated in his vehicle waiting for the security gate of his Mdantsane residence to open when two masked, armed suspects ambushed him. The attackers opened fire multiple times, striking both Tete and his 27-year-old female passenger. Tete died at the scene, while the passenger remains hospitalized in critical condition. The two suspects fled the area immediately after the attack, prompting South African law enforcement to launch a large-scale manhunt and full criminal investigation.
Tete leaves behind a decorated 12-year professional boxing career that earned him global recognition and a place among South Africa’s most talented combat athletes. He claimed his first world title in 2014, when he won the IBF junior-bantamweight (super-flyweight) belt, and later held the WBO bantamweight championship from 2017 to 2019. Throughout his career, Tete fought eight times in the United Kingdom, including a 2015 victory over Liverpool’s Paul Butler and two world title defenses in Belfast. He still holds a Guinness World Record for the fastest knockout in a title fight in history: he stopped opponent Siboniso Gonya just 11 seconds into their 2017 title bout.
His last professional outing came in July 2022, when he scored a knockout win over British fighter Jason Cunningham in London. The result was later overturned to a no-contest after Tete tested positive for stanozolol, an anabolic steroid. UK Anti-Dopinging issued a four-year competition ban that was scheduled to end just last week, on July 29, 2026. Tete had already resumed full training ahead of a planned comeback fight set for November 29, his manager confirmed.
Across his 34 professional fights, Tete compiled a record of 29 wins, four losses, and one no-contest.
News of Tete’s killing has prompted an outpouring of tributes from the global boxing community. Gayton McKenzie, South Africa’s Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture, called the loss a devastating blow to the nation’s sporting landscape, saying “South Africa has lost one of the finest fighters it has ever produced.”
Top boxers from around the world also shared their condolences. Japanese three-division world champion Naoya Inoue called Tete a “wonderful boxer,” adding “I hope the world is peaceful. And please, rest in peace.” John Riel Casimero, who defeated Tete to claim the WBO bantamweight title in 2019, said he was “shocked” and “heartbroken” by the news. “We shared the canvas and pushed each other to be our absolute best inside the squared ring. A true warrior and champion. Rest in peace, champ. Prayers with your family and loved ones,” Casimero wrote.
Mlandeli Tengimfene, Tete’s long-time manager, told the South African Broadcasting Corporation that the champion was killed just as he was poised to restart his career. “Zolani is gone at a time we thought he was going to resuscitate his career,” he said. “The news is devastating, I must say.”
Sanctioning body the World Boxing Organization also released an official statement mourning Tete’s passing. “We extend our deepest condolences to his family, friends, loved ones and the entire South African boxing community during this incredibly difficult time,” the organization said in a social media post. “Rest in peace, champion.”