DJ Zinhle allegedly shuts down her business

Mzansi businesswoman and musician DJ Zinhle has reportedly shut down her luxury furniture store, Jiyane Atelier, almost four years after announcing its launch.

A local publication reports that the company has been in the process of liquidation since November last year and is facing deregistration due to annual return non-compliance. In addition, the website for the online store is no longer operational.

According to BizPortal, all companies and close corporations, whether they are trading or not, are required by law to file their annual returns with the Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC). Companies have 30 business days from the date that the entity become due to file annual returns before it is in non-compliance with the Companies Act.

DJ Zinhle’s furniture store, which officially launched in October 2019, sold leather and velvet sofas, ottamans, headboards, and more. In 2021, the company provided studio furniture for television shows including Anele Mdoda’s Buzz on Honey TV (DStv channel 173).

However, according to a local publication, records show that DJ Zinhle was not the owner of Jiyane Atelier.

The publication reports that the company registration records list Zinhle’s long-term friend Brandon Wesley Reynolds as a sole director. Reynolds reportedly registered the business in 2019 using a Cape Town address.

Last week, it was reported that DJ Zinhle’s ex-employee, Thabile Malatjie, who is accused of stealing products worth thousands of rands from the Era By DJ Zinhle store in Menlyn, is set to go on trial.

According to Lumka Mahanjana – the regional spokesperson for National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) – 23-year-old Malatjie appeared at the Hatfield Magistrate’s Court and applied for mediation in a bid to resolve the matter without proceeding with the prosecution. However, the mediation was refused by the senior public prosecutor.

Malatjie was arrested on 12 January after the her property was search by police who found the alleged stolen goods. She was released on R5 000 bail and the matter was postponed to 24 July for trial.

This is not the first employee to allegedly steal from DJ Zinhle. City Press reported last year that the DJ had opened a case against her former employee, Phumzile Diko, who allegedly stole R500 000 from her business account.