From humble beginnings in Aliwal North, Steve grew up in a farming family with four brothers, one of which was his twin. His parents taught them all the ideal of service above self even at a young age and the whole family was involved in community work in the district.

 

He moved with his family to Pietermaritzburg where he matriculated at Alexandra High School and thereafter completed his military service as an instructor. He obtained his law degree at the University of Natal and completed his articles in the city.

 

His primary love was for agriculture and he carved a career for himself in the industry, starting off as CEO of the Natal Agricultural Union that became the KwaZulu-Natal Agricultural Union when commercial and small-scale farmers united to establish a single representative organization in the province. One of his lasting memories of this tenure was meeting President Nelson Madela who officially launched the fledgling organization. It was during this time that he was nominated by the Azalea Rotary Club in Pietermaritzburg to participate in a Rotary Group Study Exchange to upstate New York led by Rotarian Darryl Wood of the Berea Rotary Club. During this exchange he came to understand the enormity of the worldwide Rotary organization. Two events during this time remain vivid in his mind

Steve joined the Pietermaritzburg Azalea Club in 1999 and was member there until he relocated to Bothaville to head up Grain SA. He joined the Viljoenskroon Rotary Club and was fortunate to have PDG Jaap Steyn as his mentor. He was instrumental in securing a food stall for the Rotary Club at the annual Nampo Harvest Day that bolstered club funds.

 

He then moved to Kroonstad where he joined the local Rotary Club and immediately set about supporting existing projects run by the Club and seeking new ides for fund-raising. One of the highlights for him was an air show organized by the club and labelled “Planes in the Platteland”. The club was fortunate to host Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) for three years and Steve was involved in the developing and presentation of the course. He was President of the Club in 2010/2011.

 

Steve and his wife, Marita, moved to the Ladybrand district in early 2015 to join the hospitality industry at St Augustine’s Resort near Modderpoort. They were privileged to host many AG training sessions as well as POETS.  He joined the Rotary Club of Ladybrand in 2015 and served as President in 2019/2020, a third of the term being subject to the rigid protocols of COVID-19.

 

Steve has retired to Bloemfontein where he is now a member of the Bloemfontein Raadsaal Club.

 

Steve is a Paul Harris Fellow.