I did my military training at the Air Force Gymnasium, Valhalla, after which I joined my parents’ company, Vista Homes, where I was put into boot camp as a trainee site-foreman. Apart from ensuring materials were delivered on time and that homes were completed within the agreed contractual period, my time was spent learning about the various trades.
In 1976 I was made responsible for sales and marketing. In 1982 my parents retired and by 1989 the company was building over 1 000 homes per year. I sold the company, after which I launched a new company, Joscott Construction, and re-launching Vista Homes after Time Holdings had failed to make a go of it.
At the end of 2000, I sold my shares in Vista Homes and set up my own project management company, Pablo Project CC, which constructed a five-star retirement village, Le Domaine, at Hillcrest near Durban.
Started with investment capital of just R7-million, Le Domaine is now a village with over 700 homes and worth over R1,5-billion. It is generally regarded as the premiere lifestyle retirement village in KwaZulu-Natal. I now have time on my hands and am itching for the opportunity to take on a new challenge.
+ John passed away from corona pneumonia on 16 December 2020. — Tom Ferreira