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he latest arrival among Kingswood’s trustees (Jonathan Witts-Hewinson, Tony Jacobsen and Fielies Nieuwoudt) is former farmer Pietman van Heerden, who took the proverbial baton from outgoing trustee Edmund Franklin after the KGE Annual General Meeting on 24 June.
When homeowners voted for a new Kingswood Golf Estate trustee, Pietman van Heerden and his wife Ronelle were still crisscrossing Europe on a tour that comprised Switzerland, France, Belgium and the Netherlands. A sure highlight, says Pietman, was the André Rieu concert that concluded their itinerary.
‘We started off in the Swiss slopes in piles of snow, and ended with the concert in Rieu’s birthplace of Maastricht. It was a wonderful experience – as long as you didn’t sit around and count your coins all the time. Seven Euros for a beer, and nearly the same for a Coke or coffee,’ he chuckles.
‘When coming back from such a trip, you realise just how much there is to appreciate in South Africa, not least of which is the space – whether it’s in your community estate, the city or countryside, compared to Europeans living on top of each other.’
The Van Heerdens are well travelled, having toured the UK and United States, Canada and Southeast Asia, among other destinations. But one trip that stands out for different reasons is their 2021 excursion to Namibia, along with six fellow Kingswood residents, when a large percentage of the 50+ travellers contracted Covid.
‘Only four people, including Ronelle and I, did not get sick. In fact, six of the tour party died – a really traumatic experience. We also had trouble returning to South Africa and were greatly assisted by Kingswood resident Dr Johan Neethling to get back in one piece.’
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The pandemic also played a role in Pietman’s investment decisions at KGE, resulting in his selling rather than renting out their first property bought on the estate in 2006. But let’s start at the very beginning: the Northern Cape farm folks’ Garden Route connection.
The family Van Heerden has been holidaying on The Island at Great Brak River for aeons, trekking from the family farm in Victoria West to the Southern Cape coast during summer breaks. So when a buyer made Pietman an irresistible offer on the farm, the decision came easily: they upped and moved to George.
They have made their house in Phase 2 a home over the past decade, having acquired their second KGE property in 2013. ‘When we bought in the early 2010s, Phase 4 was set to become a retirement village. It’s no longer the case, of course. We are very healthy and happy here – and there will be a Mediclinic on our doorstep soon, in case anything needs fixing!’
Lasting sporting legacy
It doesn’t look as if Pietman will require any medical attention any time soon: the barrel-chested former ‘boer’ plays golf three times a week – a slightly less violent sporting pursuit than his earlier days spent on the rugby field. Pietman played first team for Paarl Boys’ High for the last two years of his high school career, even captaining the team in his matric year.
‘In 1969 we broke a five-year drought when beating Paarl Gymnasium at interschools … but then they beat us in 1970!’ In a weird coincidence, the exact scenario befell their son, Ron van Heerden, with wins and losses in the same order against arch rivals Paarl Gym when it was his turn to participate in the oldest and biggest interschools rugby derby on the planet.
Pietman signed up as a member at Kingswood, Oubaai, and George Golf Club when moving to the Garden Route, and reminisces with glee about playing a certain league competition in the mid-2010s, when his Kingswood team beat George for the first time … ever!
The Van Heerdens’ other son, Piet, inherited Dad’s competitive golfing gene and played on provincial level for Boland. After several working stints overseas, all three of their brood are now settled in South Africa – Paarl, Beaufort West, and Somerset West respectively, so close enough for Ronelle and Pietman to see their fine array of grandkids growing up.
Springboks, rams, and dams
Apart from praising the current state of Springbok rugby, Pietman is also full of ideas to optimise the herd of buck that calls Kingswood home. Having farmed sheep, seed and game, he’s no stranger to the management of livestock and has his sights on introducing a duo of Damara rams.
He also has visions of a dam that would greatly enhance the estate, from providing a bottomless water source for the golf course to attracting additional birdlife and creating water-sports opportunities. It will be an eye-pleasing feature, sure to pique investor interest too.
‘Water is at the core of everything, and we have so much of it running through the estate. All you really need is a breakwater – there’s no reason to block the flow – and that will make for a beautiful dam with new habitats for all kinds of wildlife, while exempting us from water restrictions.’ Respect for the natural environment is second nature, but Pietman is particularly aware of Kingswood’s reputation as golf estate, and ready to promote that cause wholeheartedly in his role as trustee. ‘I’ve been approached more than once to turn Kingswood into an eco-estate, but that won’t happen on my watch.
‘There are a lot of good things happening on the course at Kingswood, and everyone is excited about the new clubhouse. It’s a special estate with its vast open spaces, mountain views and trails. Ronelle loves walking and I love golfing, so we’re in the perfect spot. Some people on the board do the books, but I’m more of an outdoors guy and will build on existing features to make Kingswood even better.’ Perhaps it’s a case of bringing Karoo farming rules and values into play at KGE. Pietman is fully committed to the task of being a trustee for the next year. And when listening to what he envisages for Kingswood in his low- key but confident way, an age-old Afrikaans expression springs to mind: ’n boer maak ’n plan.
