Inside the Saxonwold mansions where the infamous Gupta brothers lived

·27 Jun 2025

Old children’s dolls, copies of the defunct The New Age newspaper, shrines, murals on nearly every wall, throne-like furniture, marble finishes, and more bar counters than you can count on your fingers.

These are just some of the remnants scattered across the once-luxurious Gupta mansions in Johannesburg’s elite Saxonwold suburb.

On 24 July, the Gupta’s opulent homes, symbols of excess during South Africa’s state capture era, will go under the hammer in a court-ordered auction.

All items they left behind after their hasty exit from Johannesburg to Dubai, which are still in their houses, will also be auctioned.

More than just prime real estate in the country’s richest city, these properties stand as stark symbols of the state capture that defined former President Jacob Zuma’s tenure.

The auction follows years of legal battles and a Supreme Court of Appeal ruling in favour of Park Village Auctions, which auctioneer Clive Lazarus calls “the beginning of the end” of the drawn-out saga.

Atul and Rajesh “Tony” Gupta rose to prominence in the early 2000s, leveraging close ties to Zuma to amass a vast empire in mining, media, uranium, and technology.

The Saxonwold mansions, dubbed the nerve centre of state capture, became infamous for hosting high-level political meetings.

It during the Zondo Commission as symbols of the Gupta family’s influence in the workings of government.

The mansions, which were visited by several ministers who served in former president Zuma’s cabinet and CEOs of state-owned companies, featured prominently in the state capture commission report.

For example, Former Deputy Finance Minister Mcebisi Jonas claimed that he was offered a cabinet post at the Gupta’s Saxonwold residence.

A public statement by former Eskom CEO Brian Molefe, who was suspected of being implicated in the Guptas’ network, said that he had not visited their house.

When his visit to the area was proved by cellphone records and documented in a public protector’s report on state capture, he admitted he had been in Saxonwold, but said he might have been visiting a local shebeen there.

This marked the start of the colloquial term for the compound, the “Saxonwold Shebeen,” with more bars in these properties than rooms in most households.

By 2018, as investigations into the family’s activities intensified and the walls began closing in, the Guptas fled to Dubai.

Arrested there, they have since dodged South Africa’s extradition efforts, with a 2023 request rejected over technical errors.

Meanwhile, their business network, including Oakbay Resources & Energy, crumbled under debt, triggering business rescue proceedings.

Beyond their grandeur, some say that the auction represents a broader reckoning. Aligned with efforts to recover assets tied to corruption, the sale coincides with renewed attempts to extradite the Guptas to face state-capture charges.

Video of the Gupta compound in Saxonwold

BusinessTech visits the compound: Three Mansions, One Historic Sale

Ordered by the Supreme Court of Appeal, the auction, managed by Park Village Auctions, will offer the properties and their furnishings in a simultaneous simulcast on 24 July at 11:00.

Furniture and appliances will be sold as single lots after the property sales, requiring separate bidder registration.

Bidders must submit a R50,000 registration deposit plus the property-specific reserve (R500,000 or R250,000).

On 24 July, these mansions, once stages for political intrigue, will be reduced to bids and gavel strikes.

Saxonwold residents have expressed relief at the prospect of renewal after years of decay and neglect but worry that redevelopment could alter the suburb’s tranquil character.

The Gupta mansions on auction

No. 5 Saxonwold Drive (Erf 296): A 4,207 m², three-storey estate with eight bedrooms, five en-suite bathrooms, an indoor pool, rooftop patio, and staff quarters. Valued at R21.73 million, with monthly rates of R19,186. Refundable deposit: R500,000.

No. 7 Saxonwold Drive (Erf 297): A 1,720 m², hotel-like mansion with 17 en-suite bedrooms, a cinema, beauty salon, and triple-volume foyer. Valued at R36.86 million, with rates of R29,434. Refundable deposit: R500,000.

No. 3 Saxonwold Drive (Erf 295): A 3,000 m² single-storey home with three bedrooms, a garage, and staff quarters. Valued at R5.54 million, with rates of R6,305. Refundable deposit: R250,000.