A Tribute to Dawie “Zottie” de Villiers – Founding Member and Friend

I first met Zottie at my very first Sakeliga board meeting. What struck me immediately was the smile in his eyes – a remarkable mix of warmth, wit, and compassion. But beneath that easy friendliness lay a fierce determination. A quiet force. A man who deeply cared for his loved ones, his community, his business, and the cause Sakeliga exists to serve.

At Sakeliga, we understand the unique role of entrepreneurs in maintaining a society’s capital structure. They bridge the space between capital on the one hand and goods and services on the other with foresight, skill, and courage. But they often do more: they act in support of their communities, their schools, churches, and homes. Quietly, without acclaim, they help to sustain the foundations of a functioning society.

I quickly realised: Dawie instinctively understood the urgent need for a new kind of business organisation in South Africa – an independent business community able to bring balance where the state creates imbalance. In a country where politics had at that time become so sensitive that many understandably withdrew, Dawie leaned in. His style – quick to act, eager to find solutions, always ready to make a plan – was exactly what was needed, exactly when it was needed.

His influence also reached beyond Sakeliga. As the driving force behind MidCity, Dawie helped shape Pretoria’s skyline – many of the city’s buildings bear his imprint. At the University of Pretoria, he played a role in convocation and campus security. And in old age homes and children’s homes, he brought joy, comfort, and care.

Outside the boardroom, I got to know another side of him: alikreukels (periwinkle) in the cool waters of Herolds Bay, and of course a couple of golf rounds. It was laughter and light-heartedness all around, yet even in those moments, his intensity never faded.

Dawie was a storyteller – of families, towns, and South African history. I can still hear him chuckling about a church organ that ended up in the Free State en route to Australia. His stories always began with a twist and ended with a truth. Sometimes, on Nick Vlok’s farm – Nick being my predecessor as chairman – Dawie would make us wait for the punch line. And when it came, it cut like a blade or whispered like the wind, but it always landed.

We now know that behind the cheer and the fight, Dawie also quietly bore burdens we did not see.

We honour Dawie de Villiers for his life and his contributions to Sakeliga, and for his love, his  headstrong personality, and his commitment. We remember him not as a man who never took a fight, but rather as one who fought for what he thought was right. He built. He believed. He served.

May his life remind us that behind every smile there lies a story, that every businessman is sometimes a soldier, and that every community needs someone like Dawie “Zottie” de Villiers.

Rest well, Zottie. We will continue building.

Andries Brink

Chairman – Sakeliga

June 17, 2025