Tendai Ndoro: From Rags To Riches And Then Back To Rags

It is a familiar story, but with its own background, narrative and dynamics, as well as colour and drama: Many African footballers have overcome incredible odds of adversity to achieve success, only to face financial struggles later in their lives and die poor.

 

This phenomenon is often attributed to a combination of factors: Personality, social background, exposure, financial illiteracy, conspicuous consumption, champagne lifestyles, extravagant spending and women, poor investment decisions, and short careers.

 

This the story of Tendai Ndoro, a former Orlando Pirates and Zimbabwean international football striker who died at his small, cubicle apartment down on the fringes of Sandton City – the richest square mile in Africa – at crossroads to Alexandra, one of the poorest townships in South Africa known to locals as Gomorra.

 

Sandton and Alexandra are often used to demonstrate sharp and dramatic inequality in South Africa, the most unequal society on earth.

 

Ndoro was physically and literally at crossroads in his life before his death on 18 August.

 

Aged 40, he died a lonely and bitter man – ailing, broke and abandoned.

 

An investigation by The NewsHawks shows that Ndoro died at his cubbyhole situated at Barlow Park Lifestyle Estate; alone, struggling and bitter about his desperate situation.

 

All those who used to be close to him at the height of his glittering football career – friends and beautiful ladies, including his former wife and “slay queens” (stunning, light-skinned and materialistic ladies who love nice and expensive things; soft lifestyle in exchange for consort) – were nowhere to be seen.

 

Although Ndoro dismissed social media reports that his former wife Thando Maseko had milked him dry and mugged him of his assets and money, the perception persists.

 

In a world where fake news and lies travel faster than truth and people are more comfortable to believe what they want despite hard facts in front of them, the story simply found traction and still remains trending on social media.

 

The Barlow Park flat where Ndoro died is relatively new, but certainly not luxurious as it seems from afar outside and as widely described in fanciful media reports.

 

Although there are good one and two-bedroom apartments there, Ndoro’s place was a small studio flat, which only had a tiny single bed with no proper bedding – no decent blankets and linen, no couch in the small sitting room and no kitchen, but just a sink.
The sink was literally the whole kitchen.

 

And the bed the whole bedroom. No television, so therefore no entertainment, and no valuable assets; nothing worth talking about – at all.

 

Barlow Park, a mixed-use lifestyle estate close to Innesfree Park on 180 Katherine Road down Sandton on its main entrance and by M1 Highway linking Johannesburg to Pretroia close to its intersection with Grayston Drive at crossroads with Wynbery and Alexandra, is not a luxury gated community like those in Sandhurst, Melrose Arch, Hyde Park, Morningside or Bryanston.
Far from it.

 

It is just a modest mixed-use lifestyle centre combining small apartment living, shops, restaurants, and a new Curro school, with amenities like Innesfree Park on the doorstep and Sandton City up the road.
Ndoro was paying only R5000 (about US$300) for his studio apartment situated at a key connection point between Sandton and Alexandra, a stone’s throw away from each other.

 

Barlow Park’s first phase development was awarded to Atterbury and Divercity in 2017, with the bulk of the earthworks commencing in June 2022 and first residential units opening in early 2024 last year.
Ndoro moved in after that.
After his death on Monday, a few people assembled at the flat.

 

Still struck by the shock of his unexpected death, the first mourners to arrive, who included legendary Zimbabwean footballer Peter Ndlovu, Edelbert Dinha, Ralph Nkomo and Tendai Mangoti, a professional, and a small group of some elderly women, quickly noticed something: there was virtually nothing in Ndoro’s nook; a cubicle or confined space not fit for a former football star who played for a big South African club like the famous Orlando Pirates, the 1995 African champions, and the Zimbabwe national team.

 

Together with Sundowns and Kaizer Chiefs, Pirates is one of the biggest clubs in Africa.
It shares some uncanny resemblance with Zimbabwean football giants Highlanders, the traditional black and white uniform, its praise names (Ezimnyama Ngenkani) and its ethos.

 

Although they have different roots – Pirates is rooted in anti-apartheid protest sentiment and Bosso in the Ndebele regal history of resistance to injustice and traditions – the two clubs have an enduring aura in their communities.

 

Ndoro had already experienced that, having been born and bred in Bulawayo where Highlanders are far more than a football club, but a giant monument to history, royalty and a way of life to its supporters who claim it is a “team of the nation” and that anyone who hates Bosso almost certainly hates his or her mother.

 

Ndlovu, a Highlanders product and Zimbabwe’s greatest footballer of all time who is the first ever African to play in the English Premier League, and his colleagues spent some hours at Ndoro’s cubicle – from 4pm to 7pm – until they asked a friend (who was later photographed with them) to bring them some coffee to warm themselves up.

 

Although not as talented as some Zimbabwean and South African players of his generation like Knowledge Musona, Khama Billiart, Prince Dube or Themba Zwane, Thembinkosi Lorch and Percy Tau respectively, Ndoro was a good footballer; a baller as they say.

 

His natural talent and sheer determination had raised him from rags to riches – and sadly back to rags as the curtains came down on his tragic ending.

 

Ndoro was born in Luveve, Bulawayo, on 15 May 1985.

 

He was born a twin with a brother, Takudzwa, who played football as a goalkeeper in Zimbabwe, Botswana and South African at lower levels than his more illustrious twin.

 

Ndoro first lived with his parents in Luveve when he was young before moving to Nketa 8 across the Bulawayo townships.
He went to Mgiqika Primary School in Nketa 9 and then Nketa Secondary School.

 

After that, he moved to Ihlathi Secondary School in Tshabalala whose catchment area included Sizinda, Nketa and Nkulumane townships – some of the fertile areas for football talent, not far from the famous Mzilikazi suburb talent breeding ground.
Ndoro played football on the streets and at school just like most boys of his age and generation did.

 

One of his playmates in the streets was Lenin Ndebele, a Zimbabwean journalist now with News24, who wrote on social media:

 

“Goodnight ‘twin’ Tendai Ndoro. You were a good guy. We literally grew up with you. Your house 600m from ours. We played umphepha [plastic soccer] with you, although you were two grades younger than us. You loved playing infield, your twin brother, Takudzwa would later take up the posts.

 

I remember when you started playing with older guys [older than me even] at Nketa Hall, the likes of ‘Kalusha’ Nyazika predicted that you were going far.
Even the local dribbling wizard, Karima endorsed you. Jerry Machayaya Zingwevu you were there to see the talent blossom as you played with him.

 

Leroy Waps umfana did it. Our hood was mad rich in talent, but Tendai eventually made it for us. Go well playground legend. You put us on the map. We will forever hold you dear in our hearts.”

 

While at Ihlathi, Ndoro was spotted and recruited by the now defunct Bulawayo football team, Railstars which boasted some good players like Master Masiku, Lexington Mujokoro, Kelvin Maseko, Simba Rusike, Chenjerai Dube and Njabulo Ncube, who was a Soccer Star of the Year finalist in 2004, to play for their juniors.

 

Some of their senior players came from Railstars’ city rivals, Highlanders.
Being brought into Railstars juniors inspired Ndoro to emulate his role models.

 

Before hitting the big time,
Ndoro also played for Select Stars in Division 3 and Division 2 before joining Division 1 side Kujatana FC in Victoria Falls.

 

From there, he left for Botswana with his twin brother Takudzwa where he joined Nico United from 2009-2011.
Takudzwa played for Botswana Defence Force XI (BDF XI) before moving to South Africa.

 

Apart from (BDF XI), Takudzwa also played for Extension Gunners in Botswana, as well as Witbank Spurs in the South African National First Division and later Bulawayo City in Zimbabwe.

 

Between 2011 and 2013, Ndoro returned home from Botswana and joined Chicken Inn.

 

After that, he left Zimbabwe – with his brother in tow – in 2013 to play for Mpumalanga Black Aces until 2015 in South Africa.

 

Takudzwa went to Witbank Spurs there.
In-between, Ndoro was loaned back to Chicken Inn.

 

When he returned to South Africa after his loan stint, his career took a great leap forward when he joined Soweto giants, Pirates, the mighty Buccaneers.

 

That is where he became a huge success in football terms as he won big matches and trophies, while scoring many important goals.

 

In 2016, for instance, Ndoro scored a memorable brace against Kaizer Chiefs in a Nedbank Cup clash at FNB Stadium – the venue of the 2010 World Cup Final between Spain and Netherlands – before 94 000 spectators, propelling Pirates to the last 16.

 

And naturally money came and nice women also became easily accessible for him.

 

Ndoro subsequently lived a champagne lifestyle – upmarket apartment, top-of-the-range cars and beautiful ladies were all suddenly within his reach.

 

In the process, he inevitably got entangled with gold-diggers and controversy as he became a cash-rich celebrity dating stunning South African ladies.

 

That firmly thrust him in the spotlight with positive and negative consequences on his life.

 

While on top of the world, the downside was squandering his money until he divorced and lost almost everything he had worked so hard for over the years.

 

For two years between 2015 and 2017 while at Pirates, Ndoro became a household name in South Africa and Zimbabwe, across the region.

 

He reached the zenith of his successful career and wrote his own rags-to-riches story.

 

And later – tragically – a tale of back to rags again.

 

From Pirates, he went to Saudi Arabia in 2017 where he earned even more money – US$6000 a week or US$24 000 a month, a small fortune for a footballer coming from South Africa, let alone Zimbabwe where players earn peanuts.
“I (used) to get US$6000 every Friday. I received the money in cash (not bank transfer),” Ndoro told South African top journalist Lorenz Kohler.

 

That was well before the big guns in football – Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar, Karim Benzema, N’Golo Kante,
Jordan Henderson, Riyad Mahrez, Roberto Firmino
and Sadio Mane, among many other global stars – arrived in the oil-rich Saudi Arabia to revolutionise the game.
So Ndoro was a pathfinder in a way.

 

From Saudi Arabia, Ndoro returned to South Africa and joined Ajax Cape Town in 2018.

 

And the following season, he joined Highlands Park where he last played in South Africa in 2020 before going to hang his boots at Al-Orouba in Oman in the Middle East again, the last professional club he played for.

 

Besides these numerous clubs, Ndoro played for Zimbabwe between 2013 and 2017, earning 14 caps and scoring five goals.

 

With that record, Ndoro left an indelible mark on the local and regional football landscape before his untimely passing on Monday, 18 August 2025 aged 40.

 

Coming out of the dusty township streets of Luveve and Nketa in Bulawayo, Ndoro’s legacy will last for a long time to come, especially at Pirates where he scored 23 goals, including that famous brace against Pirates’ arch rivals, Chiefs, and provided seven assists during his time with the Sea Robbers from 2015-2017.

 

Despite his success on the field, Ndoro faced significant challenges in his personal life, including social pressure, health issues and financial struggles.
He battled diabetes since 2021 at the end of the Covid-19 era, which ultimately forced him into quitting the beautiful game.
In recent years, Ndoro was known to be struggling with health issues, specifically diabetes affecting his eyesight, which eventually led to his retirement from football.
Of late, he underwent surgery to remove an armpit tumour as he sought to regain his good health.

 

There is a video on social media where he was shown talking about that and thanking God for the successful operation.
Investigations show Ndoro
died lonely and bitter, feeling abandoned by his family and friends, particularly following the collapse of his marriage to Maseko, his Waterloo.

 

Ndoro cleared Maseko of any wrongdoing as people seemed to blame her for his troubles, particularly being broke and abandoned, yet his downfall is intertwined with that.
The NewsHawks established that Ndoro’s biggest problem was not squandering his money on women and expensive alcohol, but mainly gambling.
Ndoro suffered from a gambling addiction which significantly impacted his life, leading to financial ruin and loss of his career and relationships.

 

The addiction destroyed his career; resulting in loss of his home, cars, and relationships, while leaving him financially devastated.
Although Ndoro came from a religious background as God’s child, he later descended into indulgence and grambling.

 

A Johannesburg socialite told The NewsHawks Ndoro was a regular gambler at Montecasino in Fourways.
It also emerged during the investigation that he was also frequented Emperors Palace in Kempton Park, Johannesburg, and Time Square at Menlyn Maine in Pretoria.

 

“Tendai died a sad, lonely and bitter death at a small studio apartment at Barlow Park Lifestyle Estate. I’m one of the guys who went there timely to pay my condolences,” one mourner told The NewsHawks.

 

“He had lost everything due to women, alcohol and gambling, which was his main challenge.
I frequently saw him gambling at Montecasino in Fourways.

 

He was a regular there.
But I have seen media stories saying he lived in a luxurious apartment in Sandton. There is no such thing. The truth is that he lived in a small place with a single bed, without proper bedding and linen.

 

The single bed only had some blankets. There is a small sitting room with only a sink for a kitchen. The tiny bedroom cannot fit a double-bed and the sitting room can’t fit a couch.

 

There is also no kitchen, just a sink in a cubicle sitting room. It was not befitting a former well-known football player of his stature and reputation. It was sorry sight.’
The socialite, a professional, added: “But I don’t blame him and players of his generation for that. Remember these guys come from the ghetto; like some of us, without much education, exposure and financial literacy. So when they succeed and get big money, they can’t manage it.

 

They easily get overwhelmed.
There are many footballers in Zimbabwe and South Africa, across Africa and around the world who have gone through the same experience as Ndoro.
Most Zimbabwean footballers are like that, in South Africa too.
In Africa also. Internationally as well.
So let’s not blame him. It’s a big problem in football in general. Let’s not even blame his ex-wife, Thando, for that as he exonerated her himself.

 

He knew what the problem was.
The problem is much bigger than we think.
If you look at it broadly, it’s actually a human phenomenon where people, depending on social background, personality, financial literacy, spending discipline, environment in which they live and those around them, can make and squander their fortunes. It can happen to anyone. We can’t judge people, but observe and learn from their experiences.”
The football community has paid overwhelming tribute to Ndoro’s memory, remembering him for his good talent, passion, and dedication to the sport.

 

Pirates and other South African teams, the Zimbabwe Football Association and even Fifa have extended their heartfelt condolences to his family, friends, and loved ones.

 

Ndoro’s legacy will live on, inspiring future generations of footballers in Zimbabwe and beyond, while also offering valuable lessons on how to manage success, no matter how relative it maybe to avoid tales of working hard to climb the ladder of success only to crash back to dust and live or die in poverty and despair like Lerato Chabangu in South Africa of late and many others elsewhere, including in Zimbabwe.