Well-known businessman passes away
He started the well-known Progress Fast Foods & Bakery in General Hertzog Road back in 1964, shortly after he immigrated to South Africa from Cyprus.
VEREENIGING – The community of Three Rivers and the Vaal is mourning the loss of Christos Evangelou, a respected businessman and well-known local figure.
Christos, owner of the popular Progress Fast Foods & Bakery, passed away on February 13 from natural causes at the age of 87.
Born on April 15, 1938, on the island country of Cyprus, Christos was one of nine children.
“My dad was born into a very poor family. All of them were brought up in a single garage,” says his son Tony.
“He started planting telephone poles for a telecommunications company – the equivalent of Telkom there (in Cyprus). One morning he said ‘This is not going to cut it’, so he put money together, bought a plane ticket and travelled to South Africa.”
A young Christos arrived in South Africa at 22 with dreams of a better life.
He initially worked for his brother, Tony, who owned the popular 20th Century Café on the corner of Voortrekker Street and Rhodes Avenue in the Vereeniging CBD, before he spread his wings and started his own cafe.
In 1964 Christos and his wife, Efi, started what is today known as Progress Fast Foods & Bakery.
In 1994 Tony, a qualified civil engineer who lectured at Wits, decided to join his father in business.
He and his father was involved with Progress up until the end.
“He never really retired, but since Covid, he started taking it easy. But he was still coming in every day, once a day, to check that everything was running smoothly,” says Tony.
“My dad was the type of person who could take the worst situation and turn it into a joke. He was a happy person.”
On social media, messages of condolences streamed in this past week. Dalene Venter, ward councillor for Three Rivers, remembers Christos as a pillar of the community.
“He did a lot for the community without expecting recognition. We can only appreciate his contribution to the community of Three Rivers,” Venter said.
A funeral service for Christos was held at Theotokos Greek Orthodox Church last week.
He was laid to rest at the Uitgevallen Cemetery in Grens Street, Buyscelia Agricultural Holdings. Christos leaves behind a legacy of commitment, resilience, and generosity.
His contributions to Vereeniging and Three Rivers will be remembered for generations to come.
He is survived by his wife (84), his sons Tony (60) and Vangi (58), and three grandchildren.
