Classrooms, Sport and Property

TIME is a funny thing. Who would have thought that Durban-born mother of four, Ronel Botha, a former Springbok softball player and longtime school teacher, would one day see one of her former matric pupils become her boss?

That is what came to be as Ronel and her husband Andries, also a former teacher, are now working at the Upper Highway branch of the Dormehl Phalane Group (DPG) in Gillitts. They are among 22 sales agents under Ronel's former pupil, Owen Dormehl, who is the branch principal and company founder.

"I was a very new teacher, just 21, when I taught Owen in matric at Port Natal High School in Durban," recalls a laughing Ronel, who joined the DPG branch, with Andries, in October 2021.

What she most recalls about Owen as a teenager, Ronel says with a grin, is his "non-stop talking (always reasoning) and his laughter".  She adds: "He was never naughty... that I was aware of.  Owen always worked hard at training and performed excellently as an athlete.  He was a great team member and always a motivator to be the best."

Ronel has known Owen since 1980, when she started her teaching career at "Porties", where she herself was a pupil for all her school years. PE and Geography were her majors, and she says she was fortunate to start her career teaching the subjects she loved.

Both she and Andries have gone on to teach abroad a lot, their skills having taken them to Qatar, Qingdao in China, and also Jeddah, Saudi Arabia (from August 2007 to June 2016).

"Jeddah was a wonderful experience. We taught at a school which accommodated 56 different nationalities. The students were enthusiastic and loved school, which reflected in the work they produced," says Ronel.

It was due to Covid-19 chaos robbing them of arranged teaching posts overseas, that the Bothas were eventually persuaded to join the world of property.

"Owen and I had somehow always remained in contact over the years. Facebook and WhatsApp were great tools to stay in touch while we were abroad," explains Ronel.

It was when she returned to South Africa for a "sabbatical year", as she had had enough of working with "a monster of a headmaster", that Ronel and Owen reconnected.

"For years he urged me to leave teaching and join him. I used to tell him there was no way I could see myself as a property practitioner. And then Covid hit our shores and the world was turned upside down!"

At that time, Andries had been teaching overseas and Ronel had visited him during the Chinese New Year 2020 holiday break: "I was supposed to stay for three weeks, but that visit was cut short after five days!"

The couple left China in a hurry, as the country was going into lockdown: "We managed to get the last flight out of Chengdu to Hong Kong. Then, after a month of online teaching, Andries had to return to China.  Little did we know he would not return! 

"I was offered a teaching position to join him but could not get a visa to travel to China. It was made as difficult as possible for anyone who wished to return to China."

After 16 months of being separated, due to strict travel bans, Andries finally flew home at the end of June 2021, thinking he would return in mid-August 2021. This turned out to be a disaster.  He could not return due to strict quarantine rules and the hefty expenses he would have had to pay.

The school then terminated Andries's contract: "And that was final. No more income! What do you do?  Once again, Owen happened to be in the area, and offered us a new challenge," says Ronel.

"We accepted his offer of employment and discovered that the property industry is so much more than just selling homes, for the legal implications are severe if any mistakes are made in contracts. However, we both find it very challenging and satisfying, as our approach is to ensure our buyers are happy with the home they have purchased, and do not see it as just an investment."

Born in Durban, Ronel (nee Niewoudt) met her husband when both were studying at Durban Teachers' Training College (Dokkies). They married in July of their fourth year at college. 

Ronel has always excelled at sport and her primary school years were consumed by gymnastics, training seven days a week for competitions. It was when she was in Grade 9 that her mother, a keen softball player, introduced her to that sport.

 "I played left outfield and was selected to represent the Natal Senior Ladies' team at the age of 15 (the average age was 35). That same year I was a member of the first Natal Schools' Team that participated in the SA Schools' Champs, in 1973."

Ronel went on to represent South Africa in a number of tests locally and in Zimbabwe and Taiwan, from 1976 to 1986: "A visiting team from the US also toured SA and I had the privilege, as a 15-year-old, to face a pitcher pitching a ball at 145km/h, 14m from me as a batter.  I was very proud of myself that I was not struck out."

She continued to play softball at provincial level for 21 years and then played for the KZN Masters' team until she relocated.

Ronel's sporting achievements do not end there. She represented KZN in gymnastics and hockey at primary and high school level, and hockey at senior club level. She was also selected as vice-captain of SA Colleges' Hockey. And she represented KZN in a 1976 TV show called Spel Sonder Grens, then appeared in another popular TV show, Suikerkaskenades (Sugar-Go-Lympics). 

"I then participated in the regional 'Charlie Super Sports Girl' competition and won it.  This enabled me to participate in the national competition where I finished ninth in SA," she says.

"I would say this was my greatest challenge, as I had to learn how to row a canoe, ride a racing bike, shoot a basketball and improve my hockey skills, diving and swimming. I became super-fit as we had a fitness section too."

Later. Ronel achieved KZN colours for the over-35's Action Cricket team. 

"I was very fortunate that I could train while teaching. Being a PE teacher, I could train with students while demonstrating and coaching. I was also fortunate that Andries supported me throughout my career.

"Once we started a family, I still travelled a lot to different tournaments, and he was always there to take care of our children.  I would not have been able to extend my career for as long as I did, if it wasn't for his support."

Ronel's family members are also great sporting achievers: her dad was a pro wrestler and later a national umpire in softball, while her sisters, Wilma and Marina, also played softball for South Africa. Marina went on to achieve her Springbok colours in volleyball too, and is now a keen golfer, playing off a 12 handicap.

Ronel's brothers, Gert and David Nieuwoudt, were provincial amateur wrestlers and went on to be great rugby players. David was also a Springbok softball player and played a few matches for WP Rugby. Gert played provincial softball for KZN as well as the then-Transvaal. 

Husband Andries is also sporty, Ronel adds: "But he is more of a Jack of all trades, as he likes swimming, running, cricket, rugby, golf and motor-biking. He received provincial colours in swimming".

"Andries is still very active with swimming and biking. Also, we play the occasional game of golf together - but most of the time, our three grandchildren keep us very busy," she says, adding that she and Andries also love heading for the mountains when they get the opportunity.

All four of the Botha children were home-schooled by Ronel and Andries. Daughter Lise is now 38, Rochelle is 35 and twin boys, Andries and Gerhard, are now 31.

Not unexpectedly, all are also pretty good at sport, Lise having achieved her junior Springbok colours for golf. She was also invited by Sir Nick Faldo's foundation to participate in an international tournament in the UK, where she placed second. A few years later she decided to turn professional. 

"Rochelle was a good hockey player, but focused on her career. She is currently working at a medical practice in New York. Our twin boys enjoyed playing cricket and rugby. They are currently still playing club rugby - Gerhard in the UAE and Andries in Hillcrest."

Ronel and Andries are enjoying the challenges of the property world, although both admit it is very different from the working environment they have known for more than 40 years. She adds, however, that they have proven wrong the old adage, "It is not possible to teach an old dog new tricks".

Under the wing of DPG Upper Highway branch manager Jean Liversedge, the Bothas are now starting to fly: "We are learning very fast and will continue to improve our skills through guidance from Jean and Owen."

Ronel rates Owen as a good leader, saying he sets the example and expects property practitioners to follow his well-tried and tested experiences in the industry.

"What makes him such a popular figurehead is that he creates a working environment in which agents can function without stress... and find marketing and IT support to help them at many different levels."