Centenarians in South Africa: Milestones and Memories

Gladys Agnes JOUBERT celebrated her 100th birthday on 23 October 2024 in Carletonville. She was born on 23 October 1924 in Johannesburg to Charles Henry ALLEN and Georgina Emily SCRIVENS. Her father was a mine detective, and the family lived in Newlands at the time. Gladys still lives in the same house that her husband, Oltman Jacob JOUBERT, built for them 50 years ago. He was a farmer from the Boskop district. They were married in 1944, and Gladys had to quickly learn Afrikaans. The couple had five children, including twins that were born when she was 40 years old. Oltman died in 2002 in Carletonville. Gladys has 11 grandchildren, 13 great-grandchildren, and two great-great-grandchildren. In her youth, Gladys was a competitive tennis player. She also made her children’s clothing. Besides sewing, she also enjoys reading and gardening. In November 2024, Gladys was a bridesmaid at the wedding of her granddaughter Vanessa ENGELBRECHT in Paarl.

Daphne LAWRANCE (maiden name MARSHALL) celebrated her 100th birthday with a party at Summer Place in Boksburg. She was born on 28 October 1925 in Cape Town and spent her childhood in Mayfair, Johannesburg. She married John Elwyn LAWRANCE in 1946, and they settled in Springs. In 1979 they moved to Bryanston. They had four children: Peter (deceased in 2022), Brenda, Carol (deceased in 2021) and Thelma. John died in 2005 in Boksburg. After his death, Daphne lived alone at their townhouse in Dayan Glen, Boksburg, until moving to Parkrand in 2011 to live with Brenda. Daphne was diagnosed with cancer at 65, but she beat it with surgical treatment. At the age of 93, Daphne did her first parkrun.

Daphne Joyce DRAKE was born on 07 June 1925 in Durban to Archibald Percy DRAKE and Ethel DANIELS. She was a twin sister of Eileen, who died at a young age due to polio. She celebrated her 100th birthday at Huis Nuweland in Claremont, with family and friends, including visitors who travelled from England, Luxembourg, and Durban. Daphne married Paul Fredrick Meiring BUCHHOLTZ in 1951 in Durban. Paul Fredrick Meiring BUCHHOLTZ, a master mariner, endured a torpedo at sea as a prisoner of war during World War II. They had three sons: Peter, Graham and Irmgard. Paul died in 1999 in Pinelands, Cape Town. Daphne has six grandchildren. She is known for her baking, including her fruit date treats and shortbread biscuits.

Agnes Adelaide BEZUIDENHOUDT (maiden name MARTHINUS) died on 16 June 2024 at the age of 103 in Kenilworth, Cape Town. She was born on 20 September 1921 in Kimberley, the youngest of seven siblings who have all since died. She married William Christopher BEZUIDENHOUDT in 1942. They had five children: Arnold, Gerald (deceased in 2023), Beresford (lives overseas), Glenda (lives overseas), and Mercia. William died in 1996 in Claremont, Cape Town. Agnes was known as Ma Agnes or Granny Agnes. She had 15 grandchildren, 31 great-grandchildren and five great-great-grandchildren. Even after the age of 100, Agnes enjoyed going out with her daughter Mercia, a retired schoolteacher with whom she lived, visiting flea markets and going for long drives. In her youth, Agnes did sprints, hurdles and long jump; played netball and tennis; and swam at the Perseverance School in Kimberley. At the age of 18, Agnes secured a job in a factory manufacturing ammunition for the Navy, commuting by bicycle. As a young woman, she enjoyed ballroom dancing. William was a soldier and was part of the army band; he played the saxophone, violin and clarinet. Over the years, Agnes lived in Nababeep in Namaqualand, then Retreat, Silvertown, Grassy Park and Kenilworth. She worked at the Western Cape Blood Service on the Foreshore for 25 years and retired when she was 75. Known as the fashionista in the family, she always wore pearls.

Cornelia Zacharia (Cora) ZIETSMAN (maiden name VAN ZYL) was born on 06 September 1920 in Frankfort in the Free State. She grew up on a farm in Bothaville. Cora graduated from the University of the Free State and became a teacher. She taught English at Hoërskool Florida. She married Lucas Johannes ZIETSMAN in 1946. He died in 1996 in Roodepoort. Cora has three children, seven grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren. For her 104th birthday in 2024, she spent a day on the set of the TV series Binnelander. She’s been a fervent fan since 2005 and never misses an episode. Her granddaughter, Nerine, is the financial manager for the series.

On 07 May 2025, Mda MDA (102) was conferred an LLD (honoris causa) at Fort Hare University. He was a lawyer, educator, historian, and activist. Mda was born on 25 March 1923 in Ncambedlana, Eastern Cape, to Simeon Slingsby MDA and Leah Slokazana MZIMBA, the second of eight children. His mother was a gifted academic and pianist; his father was a philosopher and farmer. Mda’s academic journey began at Lovedale College, where a young English teacher infused a love of history before she returned to Britain because of World War II. He matriculated from Lovedale in 1940. In 1941, Mda signed up for a BA with majors in history and native administration at Fort Hare. At the time, under Dr Alexender KERR, who was a stern disciplinarian, there was a strictly enforced residence curfew of 8pm, no alcohol was allowed, and there was no politics on campus. He graduated in 1943 and completed a diploma in education to become a teacher. His father persuaded him to take up law instead. Mda travelled to Cape Town and enrolled at the University of Cape Town for an LLB degree in 1944. The financial and academic strain forced him to leave UCT without completing his degree. He was living in Langa at the time, and classes were held at the old Union House in Queen Victoria Street in town. Travelling via tram and train had become a burden. He later moved to student lodgings in District Six, hoping to study part-time while teaching at Langa High School.
Later he persuaded a Fort Hare lecturer to allow him to do non-degree law courses through that institution. Two years later, Mda persuaded the Mthatha firm, Gush Muggleston & Heathcore, to take him on as an article clerk. He shared a “native office” with an interpreter and a messenger. Despite a lack of mentorship and exposure to basic legal procedures at the firm, he buried himself in legal texts and passed his articles. Six years later, Mda left the firm and started practicing as an attorney in Mqanduli, a small town nearby. He had never received a case, appeared in court, or seen a Supreme Court summons. He still managed to pass the attorney’s admission exams.
In 1944 he got involved in the Non-European Unity Movement (NEUM), which had been launched in 1943. It was made up of members who were teachers, writers, and intellectuals. It was the first organisation in South Africa to adopt non-racialism, and its 10-point program preceded the ANC’s Freedom Charter by 12 years.
In 1954 he married Dorothy, a teacher in Mthatha, and they had five daughters and a son.
Mda concentrated his legal career on criminal and native law. He practiced as an attorney until his retirement in 2004. He served as a senior member of the advisory council of the Xhosa Royal House and played a critical role in the 1996 investigation into the authenticity of a skull believed to belong to King Hintsa, a claim later disproven by forensic analysis. In 2004, he was appointed to the Nhlapo Commission on Traditional Leadership Disputes and Claims. UCT awarded him its prestigious President of Convocation Medal in recognition of his service to the public good in 2015.
In 2019, at the age of 96, he published his memoir, “Struggle and Hope: Reflections on the Recent History of the Transkeian People”.
He keeps cattle and grows vegetables at the home he shares with his daughter in Jojweni village near Mthatha.

Ernest James MARTIN was born on 26 May 1920 in southeast London, England, to Lily and Alfred MARTIN. He had one brother, Walter, who passed away. During the London Blitz, his family home narrowly avoided destruction when a bomb fell nearby. Ernest is known as Jim. He attended a technical high school and later completed an apprenticeship at Woolwich Arsenal. In 1941, he graduated in Mechanical Engineering (Honours) and was awarded the William Seymour prize for being top of his class. While working at the arsenal for the re-armourment of Britain, World War II broke out, and he enlisted, attached to the 51st Highland Division. As part of the Royal Engineers, he played a key role in tank recovery during the Battle of El Alamein in 1942. He also served in the 1943 Battle of Sicily and the Allied invasion of Italy. Jim rose to the rank of major and earned three campaign medals: for preparing Britain’s defences during the Battle of Britain and for his service in the North African and Italian campaigns.
He met his future wife, Esme Imogen ABLORT-MORGAN, by chance. She was a South African nurse serving in North Africa. A friend who had malaria asked Jim to go on a date in his place. Jim and Esme were married in Cairo Cathedral in 1944, with Esme wearing a dress made from a US Army parachute. In 1946, Jim and Esme moved to South Africa to be near her family. Jim continued his engineering career and later became managing director at Drury Wickman, a company that imported machine tools from England. The couple had two children, Ray (a retired doctor) and Heather. Esme died in 2002 in Sandton, and Heather has also passed. Jim has five grandchildren and eleven great-grandchildren. Jim retired at the age of 60, after which he studied music and completed a Bachelor of Arts in Music through UNISA. He lived in Waverley and Lonehill before moving to Summerfield Park Retirement Village in February 2015. He celebrated his 105th birthday with family, friends, and the staff at Summerfield Park.

Jeri Elizabeth MNGUNI, known as Gogo Mdala, died in April 2025 in Soshanguve at the age of 116. She was hospitalised after suffering a stroke on 19 April 2025. She was stabilised and she was discharged shortly after. In her final moments, she was surrounded by family and church members from her Lutheran congregation. She was buried alongside her husband on a farm in Bronkhorstspruit. Gogo was born in 1909 in Mnguni and raised in eMkobola, Mpumalanga. She was one of 11 siblings, two of whom (a set of twins) are still alive and in their 90s. In her early years, Gogo was a traditional midwife. She married James Dukuza MNGUNI in 1938. He died in 1969. The couple had nine children. Gogo had 41 grandchildren, 76 great-grandchildren, and 37 great-great-grandchildren. She maintained an active life even in her later years and a healthy diet focused on homegrown vegetables with minimal meat. At 116 years of age, she would still take regular walks, only using a walking stick if she had to stand for long periods. She was known for her woven reed mats and her storytelling. She even had a Smart ID.

Susanna Franzina APOLLES (maiden name MATTHEI) celebrated her 100th birthday on 27 August 2024. She was born in 1924 in the village of Mamre, the youngest of six siblings. Susanna travelled across Europe and North America before settling down as a teacher in Burgersdorp. She lived with her cousin, Mr OPPELT, who was the local primary school principal. Susanna later taught at other schools, including Blouvlei Primary. Susanna specialised in remedial education. She was the first woman elected to the Lansdowne Moravian Church Council and served as the chairperson of the Women’s Association. Susanna was also involved in the Eoan Group (a cultural organisation) and served in the Home Guard during World War II. She married a teacher, Adolph Peter APOLLES, in 1949 in Cape Town. He divorced his first wife in 1949 and had nine children. He died in 1980 at Groote Schuur Hospital. Susanna had nine children and was stepmother to another nine. The late Nelson MANDELA dined with her at his residence and wrote a note describing her as “an impressive grandmother who is rich in grandchildren.” Susanna stays active with weekly exercises, has mastered WhatsApp and Zoom to connect with her family, and still plays Scrabble and dominoes.

Edna Joyce EVENS (maiden name WHITWELL) of Dawncliffe Gardens in Westville, Durban, celebrated her 100th birthday on 01 November 2022 with family and friends from across the globe. Her celebrations included helicopter flips, zip-lining, hot-air balloon trips and a microlight ride. She was born in North Wales. Edna She married Allan Dawes EVENS, a builder, in 1944. They immigrated to South Africa after World War II, arriving in Durban on the Stirling Castle in 1950. They settled in Adams Mission, where Allan became a teacher and Edna a typist in the magistrate’s court. Manilal GANDHI, Mahatma’s son, visited them in Adams Mission, and they visited him in Phoenix. The family later moved to Westville, where Allan was a woodwork teacher at Westville High School. Edna worked at Inanda Seminary, McCords Hospital and Durban Girls’ College in administrative and secretarial roles. Edna has two children, five grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren.

Johanna NAP (maiden name SLEGH) of the Klaradyn Retirement Village in Brackenfell was born on 12 July 1924 in Naarden, Netherlands, one of nine children. She was the eldest of the four daughters. She left school early to help her mother care for the children. Johanna married Frans Jacob NAP in 1948 and immigrated to South Africa in 1951. They settled in Pretoria and had three children. In 1984 they moved to Kommetjie. Frans died in 2005 in Parow. At the age of 80, Johanna moved into Klaradyn. She has seven grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.