This section examines the commercial activities of the Vryburg Jewish community. Vryburg was an important town in South Africa. It is best known for beef and is widely regarded as the Texas of South Africa. It also once housed the country's largest butter factory. The town’s most prominent Jew, Max Sonnenberg, founded Bechuanaland Dairies, which was later taken over by Royal Dairy Limited. Max also established a notable cold chain business called De Beers Cold Storage. Farming, especially cattle and maize, played a significant role in the local economy. As a result, the town’s economic fortunes were influenced by rainfall patterns. In fact, the mood of the town and our parents was affected by rain. Drought periods were particularly challenging and impacted our household dynamics. Felicia Perel succinctly captures the importance of rain in our lives:

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There was a saying in Vryburg that when you met someone in the street, you didn’t look them eye to eye, instead you both looked heavenwards to see if – maybe- there was a sign of rain!! Rainfall was minimal annually and the heat intense as we weren’t too far from the Kalahari Desert. 

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Jewish families operated businesses in manufacturing, trade, retail, services, and hospitality. In this section, I aim to describe the main businesses led by Jewish families and the community’s commercial ventures.

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Reflecting on the Potchefstroom community after the first Anglo-Boer War, Paul Cheifitz explains (page 13) the professions Jews took up:

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From mid-1882 a few Jews began to trickle back into the town. As before, the majority of Jewish inhabitants were storekeepers. Roadside hotels began to spring up within the district, many of which had Jewish proprietors. These were essentially trading stores, which catered to weary travelers who needed refreshment after a long journey. Sleeping quarters were usually behind the store. Inn keeping had been an age-old occupation practiced by Jews in Eastern Europe which they were able to bring with them to their new land. Many of these roadside hotel proprietors went on to become respected hoteliers in the small towns throughout the country. By 1885 there were fifteen of these Jewish owned establishments in the Potchefstroom district. The peripatetic nature of these immigrants allowed them to successfully adapt in their adopted homes and provide services to fellow travelers whom they encountered on their way. As more immigrants began arriving and working as smouse these roadside hotels were popular places to meet up with old friends, reminisce about der Heim, and build new relationships with locals."

 

Vryburg, though smaller, followed a similar pattern, and if we add Taung, Madiboegoe, Kuruman and other towns, we see a similar picture emerge at the district level.

 

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