Benoni Bygones: Meet Joseph Jacob Fine
Joe remained a permanent citizen in Benoni for all of his life and saw the town grow from rags to riches.
The City Times is proud to revive a monthly history piece compiled by local history enthusiast Glynis
Cox Millett-Clay, which she has named Benoni Bygones.
In 1903, before Benoni was featured on the map, a young fellow by the name of Joseph Jacob Fine arrived in South Africa at the age of 18.
For several years, he lived in Boksburg before coming to the small and exciting town of Benoni.
Born in Lithuania, Fine was the second son of Mr and Mrs Samuel Fine.
Joe (as he was known) became a permanent and well respected Jewish businessman and resident in the years that followed.
JJ Fine owned two known buildings in Benoni – Fine’s Building on the corner of Prince’s Avenue and Voortrekker Street, and which still stands today, and a second building on the corner of Prince’s Avenue and Wilstead Street, which was captured in a photograph dating back to the early 1900s.
According to a document, he leased the building to a produce merchant, “N. Jacobson and The Farmer’s Supply Limited” from April 1, 1921 to March 31, 1924.
The solicitors who drew up the document were “Kuper & Reid” – Notaries and Conveyancers of Benoni.
Joe remained a permanent citizen in Benoni for all of his life and saw the town grow from rags to riches, contributing to the development of the ever-growing “Jewel of the East” as it is still known today.
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He married Saidee Josephine, eldest daughter of Mr and Mrs M Hyman on August 15, 1915 in a ceremony at the Benoni Synagogue followed by a reception at the Cecil Hotel, in Benoni.
They went on to have three children, Betty, Harold and Lola, who all grew up at 119 Prince’s Avenue, which was their home at the time.
Saidee, an accomplished musician, was one of the most gifted and talented classical pianist on the East Rand and provided the music for silent movies, as well as for ballet schools in Benoni.
She was also actively involved in eisteddfods and during the war effort did some wonderful work.
Joe had always evinced an eager interest in communal affairs and had been a consistent worker in every worthy cause.
He was one of the founders of the United Hebrew Congregation, an organisation which was the first of its kind and which set an example to the rest of the country.
In addition, Joe was a member and director of the board of the local Zionist Society since its inception and a loyal, consistent and unobtrusive worker for nearly four decades.
He was also very active in Freemasonry. In all his communal and public work he had preferred to be self-effacing.
After a short illness, Joe passed away at his home at Fruili Court, Prince’s Avenue on May 7, 1959.
His funeral took place from the Masonic Temple in Ampthill Avenue after which was an internment at the Benoni Cemetery.
(Source: Articles from various news cuttings. Photos: BN&T member, Lenora Schwenk. Retyped and grammar changed: Glynis Cox Millett-Clay, February 12, 2025).
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