Who is Patrick Phungwayo? Age, children, wife, car, profile, news, net worth

The former South African professional footballer is best known for his time as a left-back with Orlando Pirates and Free State Stars. Phungwayo made headlines both for his performances on the field and for various legal and personal matters off the pitch. So, who is Patrick Phungwayo beyond the football field?

Key takeaways

• Patrick Phungwayo is a retired South African footballer, primarily known for playing as a left-back for Orlando Pirates and Free State Stars.
• His family life, including details about his wife and children, is largely kept private and not publicly confirmed.
• Phungwayo has been associated with cars such as a Volkswagen Golf Mk III, a blue VW Jetta, and a BMW 1 Series.
• He made headlines in 2017 due to an arrest linked to assault and attempted murder, and again in 2023 for a legal battle over vehicle repossession.
• His net worth is estimated between $100,000 and $5 million, though this is speculative.

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Patrick Phungwayo's profile summary

Who is Patrick Phungwayo?

Patrick Thulani Phungwayo (born January 6, 1988, in Alexandra, Gauteng) is a retired South African footballer, renowned for his defensive role as a left-back. He enjoyed club stints at Bidvest Wits, a loan spell in Greece with Panionios, and more notably with Orlando Pirates (2012–2017) and Free State Stars (2017–2019).

Patrick Phungwayo's age is 37 years in 2025. The star is 5 feet 8 inches tall and has never publicly disclosed information about his education, childhood, parents, and siblings.

Career history

Patrick began his career at the Orlando Pirates Youth Academy before turning professional with Bidvest Wits in 2008. After a solid run, he spent a short loan spell in Greece with Panionios in 2010. In 2012, he joined Orlando Pirates, where he became a regular left-back and featured in domestic and CAF competitions until 2017.

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Following his release from Pirates, he signed with Free State Stars, helping the club win the Nedbank Cup in 2018 before retiring in 2019. Post-retirement, Phungwayo transitioned into coaching and served as an assistant coach for Gomora United, playing a key role in their promotion to the National First Division.

Is Patrick Phungwayo married?

While having a discussion with FARPost about financial issues that affect sports professionals, like low wages, savings, and investments, Phangwayo said:

Even if I can get a team tomorrow, it must put food on my table, not the other way round where I end begging my wife for an R100. So that's where I am in love right now.

He concluded:

If I have to wear an overall and make that R5 000, so be it, but I'll be around my children, around my family. I also feel like I've lost a lot of money investing in people, and I'm sure I'm not the only one.

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People are now wondering who Patrick Phungwayo's wife is. How he captions some of his Facebook pictures suggests he is a family man. Patrick Phungwayo's children are two beautiful girls and a handsome boy.

Patrick Phungwayo's arrests and cases

While playing for Orlando Pirates, Thulani faced attempted murder and assault charges for beating and shooting a man's wedding ring finger at a party in Spruitview, Johannesburg.

His brother, Phelenani, allegedly helped him in attacking the man. A lawyer accompanied the brothers to the Katlehong police station, where the player surrendered himself.

Thulani turned himself in after the police pursued him for seven days. However, the cops did not find the firearm that was presumably used to harm the man. Magistrate Van Der Hotel postponed the case to June for more investigation and released them on R2000 bail each.

In March 2017, a 51-year-old mechanic from Alexandra sued Thulani at the Small Claims Court for an R2,941 unpaid bill due in February 2017. As the story goes, Pertus Nemamila repaired the player's Golf 3.

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Reports claimed Thulani tried to escape the law towards the end of 2016. That was four weeks after he was charged with assault for allegedly kicking his employees. The player got violent when they served him a letter from the Department of Labour over unpaid wages.

Is the former player a Sangoma?

The star dismissed the Eswatini and Mzansi media stories that claimed he retired from football for a spiritual calling. Instead, the player stated that his people wear amabhayi to honour their ancestors.

Also, his grandmother was an inyanga at some point, but she did believe his lineage would inherit the powers. The player's community believes that everyone has an amadlozi (angels). Those angels are ancestors who live within a person to protect them. However, having them does not imply the person has been initiated into becoming a Sangoma.

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Patrick Phungwayo's cars

Patrick Phungwayo's net worth is $100k-$5 million. Besides the Volkswagen Golf Mk3 (Golf 3), his fans spotted him flaunting a blue VW Jetta. He later upgraded to a BMW 1 Series that had a black racing stripe over the hood.

Patrick Phungwayo's latest news

Here are the most recent developments in Patrick Phungwayo’s life after football, including legal matters, missed career opportunities, and his transition into coaching:

Wrongful Arrest (Feb 2025)

Phungwayo revealed he was wrongfully arrested in 2021 after firearms were found in a car parked on his property. He ran a car-parking business and had no link to the crime. Charges were dropped after 3 years.

Missed European Offers (March 2025)

He shared that English Premier League clubs like Manchester United and Blackburn showed interest early in his career, but excessive demands from his youth academy blocked the moves.

Coaching Role (2025)

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Phungwayo is now an assistant coach at Gomora United. He helped the team gain promotion to the National First Division.

Social media presence

Unfortunately, the player does not have an Instagram account, but you can follow him on Facebook and X (Twitter).

Where is Patrick Phungwayo now?

As of mid‑2025, Patrick Phungwayo is active in football off the pitch, serving as assistant coach at Gomora United. He is no longer a professional player and continues to rebuild his public reputation after having been exonerated from a wrongful arrest case.

Trivia

• Patrick Phungwayo joined Orlando Pirates on 26 June 2012, raising his profile in South African football.
• In January 2025, he became an assistant coach at Gomora United in the ABC Motsepe League. He helped the team earn promotion to the National First Division.
• The former footballer is known to have owned a Volkswagen Golf Mk III, a blue VW Jetta, and later a BMW 1 Series with a black racing stripe.
• Patrick was arrested after being on the run for seven days, charged with assault and attempted murder.

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The question “Who is Patrick Phungwayo?” goes beyond just his football stats. He is a former athlete whose journey includes professional highs, public controversies, and personal challenges. While details about his wife and children remain private, he has stayed in the spotlight due to financial disputes and legal matters.

Briefly.co.za also shared Kevin Hunter Jr's bio. Did you know that he is the son of reality TV star Wendy Williams and her ex-husband? The young man was born in a wealthy environment.

His father is a Black Canadian-American executive producer, businessman, and public figure. Kevin has a $7.5 million net worth, yet he is still a student.

Source: Briefly News