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André Burger - General Manager (Acting )
André was born in Johannesburg and matriculated from
Blairgowrie High School in 1986. After school he completed
a B.Sc degree in Zoology and Botany, as well as a B.Sc Honours
degree in Wildlife Management at the University of Pretoria.
He spent 3 years in the Kruger National Parks studying the
nutritional ecology of bushbuck and nyala. Thereafter he
worked for a private landowner in the Klaserie Private Game
Reserve for a little over 3 years, managing the property
and camp, taking out childrens’ educational groups, guiding
and hosting the owner’s guests.
André came to Welgevonden
in June 1997 and was responsible for conservation, while
also being involved in most other aspects of the reserve
management. While working on Welgevonden André met and
later married Nicolene and they now have a daughter,
Jessica.
Currently André holds the position of
Acting General Manager, until Andrew Parker is replaced
as CEO.
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David Powrie - Conservation Manager
Born close to Bourke’s Luck in Mpumalanga, completed
his schooling at C R Swart High School in 1992.
Thereafter he was conscripted to the Military where he
worked with 12 SAI Dog Unit. He studied nature
conservation through Unisa, working as a landscaper and
on a Koi breeding farm. His entrance into the field of
conservation was as an anti- poaching agent in the Mkuzi
area for 6 months before being recruited as an assistant
ecologist/game ranger in the Timbavati. After a year, he
joined Idubi Game Lodge (Sabi Sands) where he was
promoted to Head Ranger and met his wife Loma. Together
they moved to Welgevonden in 1999 where they managed
various lodges for 7 years. During this time he
completed his Diploma and B Tech Diploma in Nature
Conservation and achieved guiding level of FGASA SKS DA.
In December 2005, he was appointed as a research
assistant to the unique and exciting elephant
contraception project where he identified and monitored
the post contraception (pZP) behaviour of both the
breeding herds and bulls, following them mostly on foot
for almost three years.
In 2008, following a
burning ambition to do youth missionary work, Dave and
Loma moved to the UK for a year. They returned to
Welgevonden when the current position of Conservation
Manager became available.
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Gerhardt Lorist – WEI Volunteer Coordinator
Welgevonden
Gerhardt was born in Pretoria and matriculated from
Hoërskool Eldoraigne in 1998. After school he worked
and traveled in the UK, he returned to South Africa
and his love and passion for the bush drew him to
the Kruger National Park where he lived and worked
for 8 years doing Guiding & Lodge Management. He is
experienced trails guide and Birdlife South Africa
accredited bird guide.
He also ran his own
birding safari company and through it contracted by
Wildlife and Ecological Investments (WEI) to assist
with a biodiversity survey identifying the birds of
Northern KwaZulu-Natal in Umkuze Nature Reserve. He
later joined WEI full time and now co-ordinates the
student volunteer groups on Welgevonden collecting
the research data in the field and assisting the
Welgevonden Management.
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Hennie Roets - Operational Manager
Hennie grew up on a cattle farm in the Molopo in the
district of Vryburg, and matriculated at the Wolmaranstad
Technical High School. After school he completed his apprenticeship
in motor mechanics. In 1970, he began his military service
reaching the rank of captain in Information Services. He
joined the Lichtenburg Commando after military service,
and then worked at N.C.D (currently known as Clover) as
a maintainance technician. He obtained his private pilot’s
license in 1972 working at Meat Master Meatsaws as Factory
Manager and pilot.
During this time he met and married
Drienie. After his father’s death in 1976, he took over
his father’s General Dealer’s business and farming enterprise.
The business was sold in 1980, and he shifted his focus
to dairy farming. The dairy was sold in 1990, and he started
commercial beef cattle farming in the Waterberg. Farming
was stopped in 1993 when the farms were bought up for the
development of Welgevonden. He began working for Pienkes
du Plessis with the first development of Welgevonden, but
moved to Welgevonden Wildland as assistant project manager
when Rand Merchant Bank took over the development. He was
appointed as Game Manager in 1995, during which time he
gain experience under well know masters in Clive Walker
and later Erwin Leibnitz. After losing Drienie a
few years ago Hennie met and married Claudie early in
2010. Hennie is currently appointed
as Operational Manager.
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Li Lotriet – Security Manager
Born in Queenstown in the Eastern Cape, Li went
to school and lived for 26 years in Queenstown. He matriculated
from George Randall High School in East London in 1997.
After school he was employed in a few private jobs as a
casual, and later joined the SAPS Reservists. His ambition
was to become a police officer and he worked for the SAPS
Reservist for 4 years. br>During his duties as a reservist
he applied at a local security company and was employed
as a protection officer in 1998. Through the years he climbed
the ladder and ended up in the Training Department. He studied
and attended many fruitful courses, building his career
as he went along. Later he formed part of an elite security
training team that was responsible for the training of an
estimated 7000 employee’s. Li joined Welgevonden in August
2006 as manager of security and training operations on the
reserve.
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Adam Botha – Finance and Administration Manager
Born in Natal, Adam grew up in Pretoria
and Johannesburg. As a youngster he was lucky to spend time
travelling with his father to many dams and rivers around
the country, where he developed a love for the outdoors
and wildlife.
After Matric, he completed his B.Com
degree at the University of Pretoria specialising in Financial
Management. While completing his studies, he did his accounting
articles and worked at various corporate entities before
joining the Welgevonden management team in October 2008.
He is currently busy with his CIMA (Chartered Institute
of Managerial Accountants) qualification. Adam is a keen
sportsman and received his Protea Colours for Gymnastics
and represented the South Africa National Gymnastics Team
on a number of occasions at International competitions.
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Mariaan Taljaard - Senior Admin and Accounts
Assistant
Mariaan was born and educated in Natal
where she matriculated from at Greytown High School in 1985.
She joined the permanent force in where she met her husband
Faan Taljaard and got married in 1988.
After she left the
army she moved into administration working for Nissan and Parmalat for a number of years. In 2007, when her husband
moved to Vaalwater taking over the Vaalwater Hotel, she
came to Welgevonden as senior admin and accounts assistant.
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Edward Molwantwa - Admin Assistant
Edward was born on the farm Sterkfontein in the Ellisras/Lephalale
district. He attended the Mareletsane Primary School
near the Welgevonden Main Gate. His schooling was completed
at the Letlape Secondary School in the district of Warmbaths.
After school he first worked as a tractor driver on the
Sterkfontein farm, and then as a taxi driver in the Hammanskraal
area. In 1989 he returned to the area as cattle herder on
one of the farms which became part of Welgevonden.
When Hennie Roets started farming in the area, Edward
became one of his employees. As Welgevonden started developing
in 1993, Edward became a driver for the new company, and
was transferred to the Welgevonden Office as Office Clerk
in 1995. He has become an important cog in the administration
wheel and is now handling all the identity card administration
and records, record keeping of staff debts and loans, stocktaking
and record keeping for the workshop, petrol attendants,
as well as general office duties. Edward is also a health
worker for the Waterberg Wellfare Society, and received
an award as Health Worker of the Year in 1999.
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Cornel van Wyk - Junior Accounts Clerk
Cornel is currently employed as the Junior Accounts
Clerk on Welgevonden and is responsible for general
office administration and the WLOA Creditors.
She was born in Modimolle (Nylstroom) and moved to Pretoria
where she met her husband Pat. Cornel worked at Eskom in
Menlyn while her husband finished his studies at the
University of Pretoria. They then moved to a farm near
Alma where they stayed until 1996 when Pat passed away.
Cornel then returned to Vaalwater where her family stays
on a farm outside town.
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