Farewell to Pep

Renier’s retirement weeks before his 50th birthday came with little prior warning. He did mention such a possibility during an interview with the Financial Mail a few weeks previously on 28 August 1981, when he said: ‘When I no longer have a function, I will retire’. During a business trip to Europe he mentioned that he was thinking along these lines, but apart from his wife Alice and Christo Wiese, few expected that Renier was seriously contemplating retirement at this time.

The question was why a highly successful businessman would resign from the firm he founded from scratch at such an early age and for no apparent reason? Surely, his ‘function’ within the company and his role as its undisputed leader had not ceased, so there had to be other reasons – the answer simply that Renier felt like he need a break from business and the associated pressure, and that he felt that he deserved some time for himself and to do all those things he never had time for.  In the interview with Financial Mail Renier had mentioned, with a hint of regret, that he really did not have much (free) time to spare: ‘I have a garden, and I never get into it; I have a yacht, and never get on to it’. Renier explained simply that he quitted because ‘he wanted to’. He said he needed a break, and that he long felt a need to spend more time on his own affairs: ‘The truth is, I am just tired and want to have a chance to see where my life is going’. He also admitted that he feared that he might lose interest in his business: ‘The decision to quit was not easy. I’ve tried to have the courage to do it, because there are a lot of advantages in not retiring. But I felt that once I’d made up my mind, I had to do it, because otherwise I would start losing interest and I wouldn’t want to see the company suffer because of me.  He said that he had no long term plans apart from enjoying a ‘long sabbatical’, taking up his hobbies such as gardening, sailing and tennis again, perhaps even resuming his studies, but he did not exclude the possibility of returning to the business world at some time in the future.

Renier expressed his confidence that the Pep management was strong enough to cope without him and that with Christo Wiese as chairman, Pep would have no difficulty in maintaining its growth and meeting its forecasts for the 1982 financial year: ‘I am handing over to Christo who is not only my close friend, but a man who will make a wonderful chairman and he is backed by a strong team with managing director, Tom Ball. I think they will do a better job from now on than I have done in the past'. 

Renier sold all but 200,000 of his Pep Stores shares to Wiese, a transaction which involved 550,000 shares for a payment of R7 million. This left the new chairman with more than 25 percent of the issued shares of Pep Stores. Christo Wiese was not new to Pep – he worked for Pep for six years before leaving to start a law career and his own business, but remained on Pep’s board of directors since he was 27. With his long history with Pep and his closeness to Renier (‘We are as alike as two individuals can be’), he indicated that he would have no difficulty ‘fitting into’ Pep’s philosophy, policies and principles. He suggested that there could be differences in management style ‘because Renier started with a shop and I am taking over a substantial group which is poised for strong growth and has the expertise to exploit the areas we’re in at the moment’. He also reiterated his wish that Renier would remain close to the company: ‘Renier is an exceptionally fine man and we are certainly not going to lose him altogether. He is going to stay on board of the major companies and will be available to me at all times if I want to consult with him or need a bit of advice. We have always had a good relationship, and although there are certain differences in style between us, there is no difference at all when it comes to our business philosophy.

Renier officially bade farewell to Pep Stores at a poignant ceremony at the Mount Nelson Hotel in Cape Town in April 1982. The ceremony was attended by Pep’s senior personnel and Renier’s family, business associates and friends. It was a ceremony charged with emotion and reminisces, with both Christo and Renier’s speeches containing references to Pep’s humble beginnings in the Northern Cape and its hugely successful expansion ever since. Both men said their farewells again in the February 1982 issue of Pep News, as noted here in an abridged form:

‘I would like to address this farewell message to all my co-workers, friends and colleagues in Pep, in the firm conviction that our strong group of companies must be strengthened and build out daily by each one of you who is still active in the group. Slackness, disloyalty, false ambition, envy and the lack of compassion are destructive elements in our business which can result in your own rapid downfall and gradually destroy our undertaking. Pep in all its diversity is nevertheless a whole and the existing strength and momentum are achieved by faith, hard work and the sustained enthusiasm of us all. Great new things await Pep and each one of you is part of this young and dynamic business giant which has already taken its place amongst the foremost enterprises in South Africa but still has a stunningly bright and promising potential. There is however, the constant challenge to keep the hand to the plough and not to rest on our laurels on the one hand while on the other hand we should also not be too critical of the past. Planning and action will make our company and its people greater, stronger and more successful - gossipmongers and know-alls’ are never constructive. Now, as in the past, we need more hands and less advice and always remember, a good example is the best sermon. Always endeavor to solve problems by finding the simple and direct solutions which are based on honesty and integrity. Stand together and do not hesitate to boldly tackle and finalize the job at hand. Goethe said: ‘Boldness has genius, power and magic in it”. I know that Mr. Christo Wiese. Mr. Tom Ball and all the members of management and staff aim for success and I place my trust and faith in all of you. I wish you all the very best in your daily task of building a vigorous, strong and enthusiastic Pep organization and because you believe in and live our motto of - Faith, Positive Thinking, Hard work, Enthusiasm and Compassion - you can be assured of success. Always remember that we in Pep believe that nothing is impossible - ever task, problem or challenge has simply to be tackled and completed, solved or conquered. Each one of you has the seed of greatness and success within yourself and each one of you can rise above your own limitations. Remember the Latin proverb: “No one knows what he can do until he tries”. I have beautiful memories of Pep and its people and all my wonderful friends, loyal colleagues and co-workers. To all of you I want to say: Thank you from the bottom of my heart - my thoughts of you will always be filled with friendship and goodwill. God bless you’.

Christo’s farewell message to Renier was a follows:

‘After 17 years we as Pep family say good-bye today to Renier van Rooyen, our retiring chairman, and in the nature of things, this is an occasion not without sadness. However, fortunately the sadness is tempered by the fact that Renier remains a member of the family in his capacity as director of the main companies in the Group and as a big shareholder and friend of the Group. We are also fortunate in other respects. It was a wonderful experience to work with Renier and to behold the Pep success under his leadership and inspiration. Indeed, one can consider yourself lucky if you had the privilege to have a man of Renier’s caliber as friend and colleague for so many years. On behalf of myself and all personnel it is my privilege to say to Renier, sincerely and from the bottom of my heart - thank you! Thank you for the lovely years of dreaming together, suffering together, believing together, working together, building and enjoying together. Thank you for carrying the burden of leadership without losing your talent for friendship. Thank you - and well done! You have succeeded in taking the best from your life and building a future on it. A future and a life which enriched not only yourself, but thousands of your countrymen. Indeed an achievement and a career of which you, your family and your friends can rightfully be proud. We also wish to pay tribute to Alice on this occasion for the role she played in Renier’s triumphal progress. We know that she and their children had to make many sacrifices in order to ensure Renier’s success. They too have earned our thanks and appreciation. We will try to follow the example set us by Renier and his family. We joyfully take up the task to further extend Pep, built on the firm and proud foundation on which he established it’.