TV personality and musician Boity Thulo is facing mounting legal pressure over her luxury Centurion property after a finance company moved to secure a default judgment that may expose her other assets to a writ of execution.
Five years after celebrating the purchase of her R4m home in the affluent Carlswald North Lifestyle Estate, the star now finds herself embroiled in a legal dispute with Leemark Financial Service, which financed the property.
The company filed an application for default judgment in the Johannesburg high court on April 24, alleging that Thulo failed to file a notice to defend the lawsuit.
But Thulo’s lawyers say the claim is “fatally flawed” and would be “settled in due course”.
The dispute centres on allegations that Thulo failed to settle an outstanding balance on the loan, said to amount to R491,813, despite summons allegedly being served on her in March.
Properties in the estate range from flats selling for about R1.7m to palatial houses valued at more than R5m. The estate consists of nearly 700 homes, including freehold properties and sectional-title lofts, and is known for its landscaped gardens, indigenous trees and extensive recreational facilities.
According to the court papers, the finance company is also seeking an order compelling Thulo to pay legal costs.
The seller shall be entitled, subject to the applicable law, to exercise a claim to any amounts due
— Leemark Financial Service
“The time for entering appearance to defend having expired, and Thulo not having entered an appearance to defend, judgment [should] be given against her as claimed in the summons,” reads the application.
The document states that the sale agreement was concluded in August 2021 and that Thulo has already paid about R3.7m towards the debt.
The terms and conditions of the loan, contained in the court papers, state that any party in breach of the agreement must be served with a legal notice within five business days.
“Where the purchaser is the defaulting party and fails to remedy the breach timeously, the seller shall be entitled, subject to the applicable law, to exercise a claim to any amounts due,” the papers read.
The legal battle is in sharp contrast to Thulo’s glamorous lifestyle on social media, where she frequently shares glimpses of luxury travel and high-end experiences.
Recently, dressed in a caramel-and-gold bikini, she posted photographs from a tropical getaway in Mauritius, showcasing white sandy beaches, crystal-clear waters and golden sunsets.
She also travelled to Dubai for what she described as a “solo self-care retreat”. One of the highlights was a visit to Verde Beach, where she relaxed in a chic cabana wearing a sleek black swimsuit.
With a career spanning more than 15 years, Thulo has built a formidable brand across TV, music and entrepreneurship. In a recent radio interview, she reflected on the pressures women in the public eye face, including, in the entertainment industry, the constant need to prove themselves.
Thulo’s lawyer Modise Sefume said the matter would be settled in due course.
“While it is our cursory view that the application against our client is fatally defective, we confirm that the dispute relates to a property purchased by our client ... in 2022.
“Unfortunately, the seller and those who may/or may not be representing him/them were not able to meaningfully engage with us before the publishing of your article,” he said.
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