Doyenne bids farewell

JENNY de Villiers, Doyenne of the property industry in St Francis Bay, has retired after 35 years as an estate agent.
Jenny de Villiers Estates has operated in the St Francis Bay area since the 1970s.
“We were the first agency with an answering machine, and a company decal on our cars, De Villiers recalled this week.
“I started the first gardening service because the lawns were so high we had to cut them before we could get tenants into houses.
“I then started a letting service, lighting gas geysers and paraffin fridges and freezers in all the homes.
“That led to my asset management business for absentee owners, particularly those from overseas.”
De Villiers said she was sad to call it a day, but there came a time to move on.
“The business was a great challenge to me, an entity that I grew and nurtured over the years to become a respected name in the property world.”
She attributed her success to her motto of service, trust and integrity.
De Villliers has found employment for all eight of her staff, most of whom have been with her for the past 15 to 20 years.
She paid tribute to Mary Jaftha who was her right hand in the office and who had become more than just an employee, “almost a daughter” to her.
“I am now going to make full use of my retirement and do all the things I‘ve never had time to do. At last I‘ll be able to spend more time with my family, especially over holiday periods,” she said.