Member Feature

Martin Pretorius - Vans Auctioneers

When the company he worked for over 30 years ago liquidated and was auctioned off by Vans Auctioneers, Martin Pretorius met Phil van der Merwe – the founder of Vans – and immediately knew he was destined for auctioneering.

After seeing Phil in action, he approached him and asked for a job- starting out as a storeman for the company. Martin then built his way up to a partner in the business and 30 years later, he is the CEO of the company. He was driven by the desire to be his own boss and work for himself, as well as to be the best in the industry.

Vans was founded in 1964 by Phil and today they have a national footprint with 4 branches across South Africa. Specialising in property and agriculture, Martin says he most loves the actual auction time – the chanting, the rush, the adrenaline…

Holding the national record for the highest price received on a single lot – R440 million for an irrigation farm in Hopetown, South Africa – Martin says that he currently feels the company is big enough. “We always try to evolve,” he says. With that evolution, comes a series of challenges. One of which has been implementing the BEE requirements and transformation in a company that started in 1964.

Martin credits Phil van der Merwe, Eli Stroh, Tulio Bernardi and Jack Klaff as his mentors.

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Vans Auctioneers
www.vansauctioneers.co.za
012 460 5183 | 086 111 8267
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