President Jacob Zuma’s daughter Duduzile on Saturday wed businessman Lonwabo Sambudla at Nkwenkwezi Private Reserve in East London.

The wedding had a distinctly Durban flavour and guests looked on admiringly as father and daughter arrived by rickshaw, which they had boarded at the venue’s gate.

Dudu, 28, once described herself as a “jeans and T-shirt girl”, but on Saturday wore a white gown encrusted with Swarovski crystals and silver Christian Louboutin shoes.

The couple, who met through a mutual friend three years ago, announced their engagement in September.

Dudu’s twin brother, overnight multi-millionaire Duduzani, followed as the rickshaw pulled towards the garden, where the guests were waiting. Zuma later gave his daughter’s hand in marriage to Sambudla, a controversial ex CEO of the ANC Youth League financial arm. Zuma’s four wives were also present.

Flashy cars, police sirens and blue lights were the order of the day as political bigwigs, business heavyweights, serial BEE dealmakers, socialites and wannabes arrived.

The cavalcade was made up of everything from Range Rovers, Audi Q7s, Mercedes GL 500s to Maseratis, Bentley convertibles and Lamborghinis.

Duduzile’s cousin Khulubuse Zuma arrived in a huge 5.7 litre Dodge Ram SUV. Kenny Kunene was among the last to arrive, and he stole the show in a black Lamborghini.

The wedding took place amid tight security and the media was barred from entering. Security guards and wedding organisers had their hands full checking that the 650 guests had wedding invitations.

The guest list included Justice and Constitutional Development Minister Jeff Radebe, his Science and Technology counterpart Naledi Pandor, Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan and Nelson Mandela’s grandson Mandla Mandela.

With exclusive rights to the wedding sold to a local magazine, guests were asked to leave their cellphones in their cars.

Dudu’s spokeswoman Farah Fortune said: “Dudu really wanted it just to be her day that she can enjoy. She wanted it to be as private as possible.”

Although 40 members of the Kwakhanya Community Care project had stood outside for hours, looking colourful, ululating, singing and welcoming the guests, they were also not allowed inside.

An after-party organised by Kunene at Unitra sports ground in Mthatha on Saturday night was expected to draw thousands. A traditional Xhosa wedding will take place at Sambudla’s home in Mthatha on Sunday.

* The Zuma wedding threw parts of East London and Mthatha into party mode, with “sushi king” Kenny Kunene taking centre stage as the organiser.

The celebrations will reportedly cost more than R3 million.

Sunday’s cultural wedding in the semi-rural village of Sambundla at Fairfield Trust Farm, will be followed by an after-party at the Walter Sisulu University Unitra sports grounds in Mthatha. Saturday’s formal wedding came after a pre-party on Friday night at East London’s ZAR club, owned by Kunene.

On Thursday, Kunene flew guests from Joburg to Cape Town in two private jets and then back.

In typically over-the-top style, there was the licking of champagne off the bodies of two bikini-clad women in a champagne-filled bath – and throwing of rose petals and strawberries over their breasts – all the while posing for the cameras.

Entertainment includes award-winning Durban Kwaito group Big Nuz, DJ Fisherman, DJ Fistaz Lvovo, Winnie Khumalo and DJ Tumza in a mini-festival at Unitra sports grounds, where 50 000 are expected.