A tight-knit, goal-driven family has built a legacy for 40 years, spanning over three generations.

Martiens Visser always had a dream of being successful. After reaching the highest level of employment at a mine being a General Engineering supervisor, he wanted more from life and started to pursue his own business.

He had months of leave at his current job and decided to take the leave to pursue this dream in Potchefstroom. After his leave was over, he felt like he hadn’t accomplished what he wanted to and decided that he wanted to return to the mine. His wife, Grace, refused to go back to their old life in Elandsrand. She wanted to build a life in Potchefstroom.

In 1984, Martiens sold one of the vehicles that he and his son, Shaun, built up together in a bonding experience, to start V&S Mining Supplies CC. To survive, Martiens started selling his Boxing championship trophies to put food on the table.

Martiens and Grace Visser were the founders of V&S Mining. Years later, in 1990, Shaun joined Martiens in the family business, which only consisted of Martiens, Grace, Shaun, and a few other workers. Shaun worked as a driver, technician, and basically did any work that needed to be done.

In 1992, Zahnè Visser joined the business as a freelance rep. Zahnè worked on a commission basis and had to work at Spur at night to take care of their family.

In 2012, V&S Mining Supplies CC changed its name and grew to V&S Mining Technology Pty. In 2015, Martiens and Grace immigrated, and Shaun and Zahnè took over the family business, with no business management knowledge, learning as they went along.

Through good and bad times, employees have stuck by the business. In 2020, during the Covid-19 lockdown period, employees decided to stick it out and see the business through this troubling time. In 2021, the business had the biggest roll-out they had ever seen, having to hire 150 casual workers, many of them becoming permanent employees, doubling the number of permanent workers.

In February 2024, the third generation of siblings, Tristan, Trinity, and St John Visser, took over the family business. They are planning on keeping the exponential growth of the company going, achieving new heights.

“We have a close working relationship with several specialised professors and companies as well as with our workers,” St John Visser said.

To this family-owned business, employees are very important.

“We do not only want the company to grow; we want our employees to grow with us. Most of our workers who have been with us for the last four years, have shown exceptional growth in their work as well as their personal lives. We have a really great working relationship and an amazing team. We can leave the factory to run on its own because our employees are so trustworthy and dependable. We would like our employees to keep growing with us,” Tristan Visser said about their employees.

“We are constantly working to improve our product. Our product is reliable, userfriendly and cost-effective.”

Trinity also points out that it is an honour to have been able to get involved with the business at a young age and be able to grow with it.

Employees, when asked, say they love their jobs, the work environment, and getting to learn something new every day.

“There are too many people to thank for the position we are in today, and their support throughout the years – suppliers, developers, engineers, customers, and most of all our employees. We realise the impact you have on our success,” Trinity said.

“We just want to give all glory to God for making this possible and pulling us through all these years. Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as you are working for the Lord.”