Fred has been happily married to Colette for over 14 years and is the proud father of two adult sons working in Cape Town. Originally from Johannesburg, Fred studied at Stellenbosch University and has owned property in the Western Cape for the past decade. An extrovert passionate about people and the community, Fred enjoys rugby, tennis, water sports, performance vehicles, and aviation. He has served as a Trustee of the HOA at Tedderfield Airpark, an aviation estate south of Johannesburg, for nearly nine years.

With over 35 years of experience in Property Development, Finance, Banking, and IT, Fred brings a wealth of expertise. He holds a B.Com Honours from Stellenbosch University, an MBA from the University of the Witwatersrand, and has completed advanced programs at Harvard Business School.

Fred’s distinguished career at Nedbank began in 1996 as Divisional Director of Group Technology and Support Services, eventually culminating in his role as Group CIO. He gained local and international recognition for spearheading the modernisation and digitisation of Nedbank’s technology landscape, driving business value through innovation. Under his leadership, Nedbank received numerous awards for its leadership in the digital space, successfully commercialising several market-leading products and services, with an ongoing pipeline of innovations that continue to enhance the bank’s market reputation among analysts and stakeholders.

As a driven servant leader, Fred is committed to serving the Val de Vie Estate community. His vision is to help Val de Vie Estate become the world’s leading lifestyle Estate, recognised for excellence by all stakeholders, including homeowners, tenants, retirees, business owners, and personnel. He acknowledges the diversity of interests within the community but is determined to focus on finding common ground and achieving optimal outcomes for everyone.

Rayno and his wife, Lynn, moved to Val de Vie Estate in December 2023 after 26 years in Pretoria, with their two children, Oliver and Milan. As a family, they enjoy the estate’s facilities and lifestyle and look forward to seeing these continue to evolve to reflect the estate’s full potential. They value the freedom, security, and natural beauty. As active community members, they are committed to ensuring it remains one of South Africa’s most prestigious places to live.

A financial advisor and entrepreneur with over 27 years’ experience, Rayno works with high-net-worth individuals and business owners, specialising in multi-generational wealth planning and values-based financial strategies. He helps families build legacies rooted in purpose, identity, and long-term stewardship, guided by his belief that true wealth extends beyond assets to the values we live and pass on. He is also actively involved in several business ventures and serves clients through a family-office-style approach.

As a trustee, Rayno is committed to upholding his fiduciary duties with integrity, protecting homeowner interests, and safeguarding the value of their investments. He champions sound governance, transparent decision-making, open communication, fairness, and responsible stewardship. Rayno brings a fresh, younger generational perspective as a family man raising his children on the estate. He is passionate about ensuring that the voices of all residents, from young families to long-standing homeowners, are heard and represented in decisions that shape the estate’s future, while preserving the unique lifestyle and strong sense of community that define Val de Vie Estate.

Gerald and his wife, Susan, have been married for over 40 years and share a close-knit family of two children and three grandchildren. Their son lives in Johannesburg and their daughter in Dubai, and both families relish visiting Val de Vie Estate whenever they can. Since moving to the estate in July 2020, Gerald and Susan have embraced its active, outdoor lifestyle. Gerald keeps fit by running, cycling, swimming, and the occasional round of golf daily, making the most of the facilities and the community they are proud to call home.

Born and educated in Gqeberha, Gerald qualified as a Chartered Accountant and Financial Planner and spent most of his career in Johannesburg. He retired from PwC in June 2021 as a Partner and Tax Director, having served on the firm’s Tax Management Committee and as an employer-elected trustee of the firm’s Provident Fund. His expertise spans all aspects of tax and reward, with a particular focus on employment-related tax issues and employee benefit consulting. Since retiring, he has continued to share his knowledge through select consulting engagements.

With the estate entering a more mature phase of its lifecycle, Gerald’s focus as a trustee will be safeguarding its financial stability and long-term sustainability. Drawing on decades of senior-level financial governance experience, he aims to ensure that resources are managed prudently, reserves are protected, and budgeting supports operational excellence and the continued enhancement of estate life for all members.

Ryk Neethling / Marketing Director and Shareholder of the Val de Vie Group of Companies

Ryk Neethling has played an instrumental role since his appointment in 2009 as the Marketing Director & Shareholder of the Val de Vie Group of Companies. Ryk’s business career started while he spent time in the real estate industry in the USA, assisting in the development, management and sales of various commercial properties in Arizona and California. This experience equipped him to establish Cape Winelands Properties, the official on-site property agency for Val de Vie Estate, with his business partners. His strategic approach to implementing brand and marketing plans is evident in the numerous successfully sold-out developments of the Val de Vie Group of Companies. Under Ryk’s leadership, the Val de Vie brand has internationally been positioned as pioneering in the world of luxury property development. Ryk holds a BA degree in Psychology and Business from the University of Arizona. He is a Laureus Sport for Good Foundation Ambassador, founder of Learn to Swim Academies, three-time World Champion and an Olympic Gold Medalist.

Martin Venter is the founder and CEO of the Val de Vie Group of Companies. He has sufficient experience and knowledge to lead the development and professional team for the conceptualization and implementation of any size of property development. His qualifications include BLC (Law), LLB (UP), Hons., MBA (US) and R.E.E.S, Private Equity and Venture Capital (Harvard Business School). Martin gained extensive experience in property development and property investment as one of the founding directors of Atterbury Property Cape (Pty) Ltd. As developer, he has completed many successful residential and commercial property developments. He was awarded the ABSA Entrepreneur of the Year in 1994. He focuses on deal-making, business development and strategic planning.