Who we are

The founder of the company CF (Frikkie) de Wet started out in Johannesburg in the early 1930’s. He was the first General Manager of the old Volkskas Bank Branch in Market Street, Johannesburg and this single branch is still operational to this day. Frikkie was originally from the Orange Free State town of Winburg and obtained his B Com degree from the then Collage of the Orange Free State (Kovsies).

Frikkie was quite interested in insolvency and by studying the then new Insolvency Act of 1936 he discovered a rather valuable opportunity. This opportunity turned out to be that there was a need in the market for firms that specialised solely in insolvencies. He made quick work to establish such a firm and, by buying the Grahamstown Board of Executors, Kaap Vaal Trust was officially established in 1948. The name Kaap Vaal Trust comes from his vision to encompass the whole country. As such the composition Kaap-Vaal Trust is derived from this vision to extend his company from the Cape (Kaap) to Gauteng (the then Transvaal)

Frikkie’s two sons Ben & Kobus de Wet joined the business in 1964 and later on Ben became the Managing Director. In 1972 James Galloway joined the business and together they became renowned liquidators in Johannesburg. After Ben de Wet’s unfortunate passing in 1999, two of his sons started running the company.

Today, Kaap Vaal Trust is a proud, third generation family business. Gert de Wet (Ben de Wet’s second son) is a seasoned liquidator whom currently manages the business and acts as CEO