For Martha Rapulane, turning 80 is about far more than reaching another milestone. It is about celebrating a life filled with love, resilience, family and countless memories.

Martha, who celebrated her 80th birthday today, August 28, was born in Potchefstroom and has spent her entire life in the city. She currently lives in Ikageng, where she continues to be at the heart of her family.

Despite everything life has brought her way, Martha remains grateful for every day and, most importantly, for her health.

“I am thankful to the Lord for my health,” she says.

At 80, Martha still does everything for herself around her home and continues to play an important role in caring for her great-grandchildren.

Her journey has not always been an easy one.

Martha was married and had four children, but sadly, all four of her children passed away over the years.

Despite the heartbreaking losses, she has continued to be a pillar of strength for the family she has built around her.

Today, Martha is a proud grandmother to five grandchildren and a great-grandmother to six great-grandchildren.

Among those closest to her is her daughter-in-law, Rose Ebeditse, who says Martha became an important part of her life from a very young age.

“I married into the family when I was only 22 years old and I was raised in Martha’s home,” says Rose.

Having grown up without parents herself, Rose says the bond she shares with Martha is particularly special.

“I am very close to her because I did not have parents myself,” she says.

For Rose, Martha has been much more than a mother-in-law – she has been a mother figure, a source of love and someone who helped shape the woman she became.

Martha’s granddaughter, Jeanette Ebeditse, also describes her grandmother as the person who keeps their family connected.

“She is the glue that holds the family together,” says Jeanette.

Jeanette is especially grateful for the role Martha continues to play in the lives of the younger generation.

“I am thankful that my grandmother takes such good care of my children,” she says.

For Martha, one of the secrets to a long and healthy life is something she believes everyone can practise, respect.

Her advice to young people is simple: honour and respect your elders.

Martha believes that the respect she has shown towards older generations throughout her life has contributed to her longevity and good health.

Her working life was also firmly rooted in Potchefstroom. She spent 25 years working at North-West University before working for another five years at Potchefstroom Girls High School, eventually retiring after decades of service.

Now, at 80, her greatest legacy is perhaps not the years she spent working, but the family she continues to nurture.

From her grandchildren to her great-grandchildren, Martha remains a source of wisdom, love and stability, a woman whose presence continues to bring generations together.

Later today, the family will gather for a special photoshoot before celebrating her milestone birthday with a big party surrounded by the people she loves.

And as Martha looks back on eight decades of life in Potchefstroom, she has plenty to be thankful for.

At 80 years old, she is still caring for her family, still looking after her home and still sharing the wisdom she has gathered throughout her remarkable journey.

For Martha, 80 is not simply a number, it is a celebration of a life that has endured, loved deeply and continues to inspire the generations who follow.