Budding tombstone business grew out of Soweto couple's modest florist

When Trompies music star Emmanuel Mojalefa “Mjokes” Matsane died in a car crash in May, family and friends celebrated the larger-than-life star with a life-size colour tombstone in his image. At his feet is an image of Orlando, Soweto, where he lived. 

The stone — recently featured by the Heritage Society's Friends of Johannesburg Cemeteries — was created by Khaabo Tombstones from Soweto. 

The society believes Khaabo may be the rival to flamboyant stonemason's Bataung Memorial Tombstones, who carved headstones for Nelson Mandela, singer Robbie Malinga, actor Joe Mafela, kwaito star Mduduzi “Mandoza” Tshabalala‚ flyweight boxing world champion Jacob “Baby Jake” Matlala‚ and motor racing champion Gugulethu “Gugu” Zulu, to name a few.

Mafela's grave made the biggest waves after his family memorialised him in 2017 with an engraved couch and TV set to represent his life. 

Bataung pioneer Lebohang Khitsane died from renal failure in August 2020. His wife Maria remains at the helm.

At the same time as Bataung was created, new couple Lebo and Nthato Nkwadi started a florist business, Khaabo florists, in 2008. The business then incorporated media company Khaabo Media, which does printing and banners for funerals. 

In 2014 they started their tombstone business which has grown from plaques to the huge statues we see in Joburg cemeteries today. 

Khaabo has carved headstones for Winnie Madikizela-Mandela; singer Dorothy Masuka; rapper Linda “ProKid” Mkhize; struggle hero Maphatsoe Emmanuel and musician Nomasonto “Mshoza” Maswanganyi (featured with a foot on the globe) to name a few.

Their headstones cost from R2,999 to R50,000 and beyond.

But the couple remain humble — so humble that they refused to have their picture taken for this article. Instead they wanted the work to stand for itself.

Lebo Nkwadi said their designs are made to reflect and honour the departed.

“We like to understand the person's interests and what they were like, then we do a special design. 

“We didn't start with the colour designs but we keep pushing the envelope and we realised that we could use our media company to create the colour statues. All our products complement each other.

“A lot goes into the factory, we have 120 staff who can create anything in stone. And we have the best cutters and polishers in the business. We like to be guided by our customers.”

Nkwadi joked that their colour tombstones were a secret creation made only by them. 

Khaabo also designs graves with Braille and can insert QR codes, a scanned label that contains information about the deceased.

“Our intent is to honour the legacy of loved ones — we're not always perfect but we put our heart into it.”

The couple met in university and knew that they wanted to start a business together.

“We started in the flower business. I have family in the funeral business so we started supplying flowers to funerals. In Soweto [where Khaabo is based] the funeral business is big. And we were eventually approached by funeral undertakers to make plaques and it grew from there. 

“We are building new premises — so of course we now own Khaabo Construction,” she laughed. “We don't know where we will end up but we are still small and we still have room to grow.

“It makes us feel very proud when societies like Friends of Johannesburg Cemeteries notice and appreciate our work.”

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