Ballito’s Herman and Matty Havenga have been married for longer than most South Africans live.

The couple celebrated their platinum wedding anniversary on April 5, commemorating 70 happy years together since tying the knot in 1955. Herman (95) and Matty (89) met in Pongola, a farming town near the border of Eswatini, one year earlier, in 1954.

Herman, then 24, had actually met Matty’s mother first – and made an inauspicious impression. While completing a delivery for his transport business, Herman drove over his future mother-in-law’s prized rose bush and she was, unsurprisingly, not best pleased.

When Herman’s friend William organised a double date shortly afterwards, he found himself driving back to the very same home as the flower disaster! Matty’s mother kept mum about the situation however, and the rest is history. Within a year Herman and Matty were married and William later married Matty’s sister – a successful double date after all.

The couple lived together on a pineapple farm in Hluhluwe until making the move south to Ballito in 1999.

They did not want to retire immediately and started baking rusks to supply the local supermarkets. Many long-time North Coast residents will no doubt remember the delicious ‘Matty’s Classic Rusks’ which were featured in the Courier in 2018.

When asked about the key to their successful lifetime together, Herman and Matty said it is important to remember that no one is perfect.

“You must choose someone whose mistakes you can live with. Mutual respect and laughter are also extremely important.”

The couple have eight grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.

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