Gawie de Lange’s entrepreneurial spirit showed itself long before he ever sat in a boardroom. Today he leads a diverse portfolio of businesses and mentors men across the country — and this year he is being celebrated at the Influential Awards 2026.

An 11-year-old with a pocketful of tips

Gawie grew up in Pietermaritzburg. At just 11 years old, he would cycle to the Golden Egg Restaurant, where he worked as a table cleaner. He still remembers coming home, emptying his tips onto the table and proudly showing his parents what he had earned.

That simple joy — creating value and earning it through hard work — never left him.

Learning to sell, learning to stand up again

At 13, Gawie began helping his father sell Kirby vacuum cleaners, and quickly discovered a natural instinct for people, persuasion and sales. Later, he sold boerewors rolls at the butchery where his mother worked.

Life wasn’t always easy. The family went through seasons without financial privilege, and at one point lost their business. Those years taught Gawie resilience and resourcefulness — and above all, the importance of creating opportunities rather than waiting for them.

A portfolio built on that same drive

Today, that early drive has grown into a diverse group of businesses:

• JOY! Travel — specialising in Christian pilgrimage tours
• Moriah Capital — a finance company, including facilitating bridging finance and opportunities between the USA and Africa
• Media Trade — overseeing commercial production and printing

Over the past decade, Gawie has also been a driving force in the leadership and growth of JOY! Magazine and JUIG! Tydskrif, shaping and strengthening both publications through his vision, business acumen and strategic leadership.

Strengthening men, strengthening communities

Gawie’s influence reaches well beyond business. He has a deep passion for mentoring men — helping them navigate leadership, purpose, faith, family and the pressures of life.

Through personal mentorship, men’s groups and ministry, he invests in men because he believes that when men are strengthened, families, businesses and communities are strengthened too. For Gawie, influence isn’t about being seen. It is about leaving people stronger than he found them.

Faith and family first

Faith has been central to Gawie’s life from a young age, and he believes every opportunity ultimately comes from God. Family is equally non-negotiable: his wife and four children remain his greatest priority.

Faith. Vision. Value. Legacy.

For Gawie, success isn’t only measured by what is built, but by how it is built. His philosophy fits into four words:

Faith. Vision. Value. Legacy.

And at the heart of all four sits one principle he refuses to compromise: integrity.

Why Gawie de Lange is Influential

The Influential Awards honour South Africans whose impact reaches beyond their own success. From a young boy counting his tips at the kitchen table to a leader building businesses, shaping publications and mentoring men, Gawie de Lange shows that opportunity is something you create — and that the best success is the kind you share.

Congratulations, Gawie.

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