Harry Joffe was the son of Meyer Joffe (son of Kasreel) and Batya (Kotzin) Joffe. His Hebrew name was Tzvi ben Meir. The Joffe family originated in Pandelys (Ponidelin Yiddish), a village near Rokiskis, and later settled in Panevezys  (Ponevezh). Meyer and Batya had seven children: Sarah, Kasreel, Yoseph (Joe), Chaya, Herschel (Harry), Shlomit, and Shimon.

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Harry was born on 28 August 1911 in Plungė (Plunge in Yiddish). At the outbreak of World War I, the family became refugees, first returning to Ponidel to stay with relatives (the Sacks family), and later moving to Vitebsk (now in Belarus). After the war, they returned to Panevėžys and rebuilt their lives. Economic hardship led the two eldest sons, Kasreel and Joe, to emigrate to South Africa, where they sent money to support the family.

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Harry emigrated to South Africa in 1928 at the age of seventeen, joining Kasreel, who had arrived in 1925. Their sister Sarah later followed, reuniting the siblings. After a short stay with family in Cape Town, Harry joined his brothers and began working on the Lichtenburg diamond diggings, first at Grasfontein (between Lichtenburg and Mafikeng) and later at Hendrikskraal. At Grasfontein, he apprenticed with Joe Datnow and Menash Lurie, who were in business with Kasreel. There he met Ephraim Hechter, who later employed him and introduced him to opportunities in Vryburg.

After leaving the diggings, Harry spent two months in Johannesburg, then worked for Ephraim Hechter in Ventersdorp (Goedgedacht), again at Grasfontein, and later in Lydenburg. It was in Lydenburg that he met Annie Galgut, his future wife. Although he was planning to move to Barberton, Ephraim instead called him to Vryburg to manage S. Solomon and Company. Harry and Annie arrived in Vryburg in March 1933.

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Annie Galgut, also born in 1911, was from Vilnius. She was the daughter of Heinrich Galgut (Luknik in Yiddish) and Feige Roche (née Romm). Annie was the youngest of four children; her siblings were Herman, Lebe, and Finia. Heinrich died in 1937 while residing in Lydenburg. Feige Roche passed away in Vryburg in 1952 and was buried in Brixton Cemetery.

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Joe Joffe later joined Harry in Vryburg. Harry began his career at Solomon’s Stores and eventually became co-owner of Die Boere Helpmekaar with Mr. Gollop. He later co-founded Vryburg Wholesalers with Max Cohen and went on to establish Bechuanaland Malt and Milling, which became a top-100 company listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange.

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Harry and Annie lived in Vryburg until 1957, when they moved to Cape Town. They had two children, Myra and Henry.

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