Inside Gayton McKenzie’s empire

Patriotic Alliance leader Gayton McKenzie frequently emphasizes his dedication to hard work in his various businesses and claims he is not in politics for financial gain. He has notably declined salaries from parliament and his past role as Mayor of Central Karoo District.

When criticized on social media, McKenzie defended his economic literacy by stating his wealth, business ventures, and the success of his books. He rejected the idea that he needed advice on economics, emphasizing his achievements over any perceived “white privilege

Gayton McKenzie is a former convict who served time for armed robbery. He was also a notorious “Americans” gangster and leader of a prison’s “26” gang. After robbing banks, petrol stations, and casinos, Gayton was eventually sentenced to 17 years behind bars. Speaking to Power FM in 2017, Gayton McKenzie claims he decided to commit crime as a young boy.

He told host Iman Rapetti: “I already knew that I would be a criminal at the age of 8; that was my choice, and that’s how I got involved.

PA and DA having a go at each other. DA is complaining about McKenzie wearing party colours to vote. #sabcnews pic.twitter.com/Jl77WjEsIH

— Abra Barbier (@BarbierAbra) May 29, 2024

According to his own admission, Gayton McKenzie owns diamond mines in South Africa and Zimbabwe. A blog post reveals he has business interests and investments in various fields, including nightclubs, restaurants, hotels and events venues, logistics and transport, imports, energy, and farming.