In the rich tapestry of entrepreneurship in South Africa, Nomfundo Mcoyi stands out not only for her business acumen but also for her dedication to community building.
As the founder and chief executive officer of Icebolethu Group, she has transformed an enterprise rooted in funeral services into a multi-faceted conglomerate with over 150 branches in South Africa and one in the United Kingdom, employing more than 2 000 staff.
Mcoyi’s journey began in the classroom, where she spent eight years as a school teacher before taking the plunge into the entrepreneurial world in 2009.
“I’ve never looked back,” she shares, reflecting on the challenges she faced while establishing her business. Without any loans, she relied on her resourcefulness, selling bags, shoes and clothes to fund her ambitious plans.
“It is critical to have enough capital to start a business,” she emphasises, advising up-and-coming entrepreneurs to consider financial support as a foundation for success.
With her roots firmly in the funeral sector, Mcoyi recognised a pressing need for travel solutions tied to her core services.
“At Icebolethu, we mainly do everything around funerals,” she explains.
When the Covid-19 pandemic forced many travel agencies into turmoil, her company stepped up, facilitating repatriation and travel for families mourning their loved ones.
From these unique circumstances arose her latest venture, i-Travel, which aims to provide broader travel options to the citizens of South Africa.
“We started doing a lot of repatriation, and during this time we had difficulties with agencies,” Mcoyi recalls, regarding the challenges experienced while handling these sensitive situations. “We had to move in to travel to try and accommodate our repatriation offering.”
What began as a necessity evolved into a full travel agency that caters to leisure, business, medical tourism and sports travel.
Having recently ventured into the leisure travel sector, Mcoyi envisions an inclusive approach that offers affordable packages to everyday South Africans.
“We are looking at wellness packages because we all need to go out and sharpen our axes by getting some rest … Someone who has been outside South Africa when they come back, they don’t think the same,” she asserts, highlighting the importance of rejuvenation in her vision.
Additionally, i-Travel is assessing ways to provide instalment payments for travellers, making trips more accessible amidst challenging economic conditions.
As a highly respected figure in the industry, Mcoyi is acutely aware of the challenges posed by fraudulent travel agencies that plague unsuspecting consumers.
“One of the major challenges is distinguishing authentic agencies from the fraudulent ones,” she notes, underscoring the need for vigilance.
She reassures her clients that being part of the reputable Icebolethu Group lends them credibility.
In her quest for continuous improvement, Mcoyi frequently travels to gather industry insights and explore trends, particularly the intersection of travel and technology.
“There is AI now, and we need to know what the future holds for the industry,” she remarks.
Her participation in Africa’s Travel Indaba 2025, held last week at the Durban International Convention Centre, showcased her dedication to learning and growth in the rapidly changing travel environment.
This year’s Indaba welcomed over 1 300 exhibitors, delegates from 27 African countries, and more than 1 200 vetted international buyers from 55 source markets, reinforcing its status as a premier trade show in the tourism sector.
“The Travel Indaba has been such a great experience. It is our first time in attendance, but the experience has been amazing, and we are definitely going to be back next year and make sure that we learn and grow from this.”
Mcoyi’s ambitions transcend her business ventures; she aims to inspire others to travel, learn, and innovate.
“I just want to encourage people to travel. And while we are out, let us see what other countries are doing so that we can come back and implement those things in South Africa, create jobs and eradicate poverty.
“Let’s not rely on government to create job opportunities, we can create opportunities by learning through travel and coming back with new ways of doing things.”
