Celebrating a Century of Ouma Susanna, a Living Legacy

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Living legacy Ouma Susanna recently celebrated her 100th birthday! Born before sliced bread and the discovery of penicillin, Ouma’s certainly seen it all. A teacher, community pillar and inspiration, this is her story:

Cape Town, South Africa (28 August 2024) — Yesterday (27 August 2024), Susanna Franzina Apolles (affectionately known as Ouma to her community) celebrated her 100th birthday.

A remarkable woman who has lived through one of the most action-packed chapters of history, Ouma Susanna was born in the little village of Mamre in 1924. To put that into context, this was before The Great Gatsby was published, before penicillin was discovered and even before sliced bread became a common thing!

The youngest of six siblings, she was raised in a family who placed education and community on a pedestal. In a world where so much newness would underpin the coming decades, these values would serve her greatly throughout her life.

In her early days, Ouma Susanna is said to have had a rebellious spirit and a desire to learn about the world. She would go on to travel to lands vast and wide; journeying across Europe, North America and beyond before settling down as a worldly teacher in the humble town of Burgersdorp.

Here, she lived with her cousin, Mr Oppelt, who was the local primary school principal. At the school, her ability to inspire young minds quickly became apparent and it wasn’t long until her adventurous inclinations would lead her to spread her wings in her career, leading her to teach at multiple schools.

At Blouvlei Primary, an inspector of schools became enormously impressed by her teaching skills and recommended her for a role in remedial education. This marked the beginning of an important chapter in what would become a lifelong passion for helping children succeed academically—no matter the challenges they faced.

Beyond the classroom, Ouma Susanna decided to join her church community. She was the first woman elected to the Lansdowne Moravian Church Council and served as the chairperson of the Women’s Association. But, her community service commitments didn’t end with the church. She was involved in the Eoan Group (a cultural organisation) and even served in the Home Guard during the Second World War.

Despite her many responsibilities, Ouma Susanna was deeply dedicated to her family. She raised nine children and stepped up as a stepmother to another 9! As such, her home was a hive of activity and a place of heart in her community. From bridge and Klawerjas evenings to hosting choir practices and family gatherings—Ouma Susanna’s place has long been one of connection, laughter and joy.

The world around her continued to turn to the point where Ouma was no longer living through the darkest times of South Africa’s history but basking in the light of democracy and the new South Africa. In fact, her resilience was so impressive that it was recognised by Nelson Mandela himself, who dined with her at his residence and even penned a note describing her as “an impressive grandmother who is rich in grandchildren.”

These days, Ouma keeps active with weekly exercises, has mastered WhatsApp and Zoom to connect with her family and is still a no-nonsense scrabble and dominoes opponent with a sharp mind.

Reflecting on her 100th birthday, Ouma’s advice is as follows: