Henk Duys

Full Name: Henk Duys

Position and Company Name: Chairperson of Duys Engineering Group and director of Alton Duys Engineering, Aeroklas Duys, ATD Alliance, Tandem Equity, and three property-owning companies

Main Activity of the Company: Mechanical and structural engineering, project management, automotive component manufacture, and properties

Date and Place of Birth: April 28, 1946, Bussum, the Netherlands

Schools and Tertiary Education: Pinetown Government School; Westville High School; University of Natal, BEcon; University of Cape Town, MBA

First Job: Accounts clerk at Pieter M Duys (Pty) Ltd

Size of First Pay Packet: I can’t remember, but it was probably too much for a small engineering business at the time – difficult to justify ‘an economist’; I was the most expensive person on the payroll!

Career Path to Date: My first official Duys pay packet is dated February 1, 1966, and I am still on the Duys payroll. My path has been littered with mistakes or failures – all learning experiences which a family business provided – and a number of successes. The apartheid era dictated a need for diversity and innovation. We needed a legacy business, which we found in manufacturing components for local heavy truck assemblers – small batches but better than jobbing – and this grew into our auto parts division, with factories in New Germany (KwaZulu-Natal), Gqeberha (Eastern Cape) and Pretoria (Gauteng) in partnership with Thais. Alusaf in Richards Bay was also the source of legacy work; today, our heavy engineering facility in Richards Bay provides heavy engineering maintenance services to Hillside as one of its largest suppliers

Value of Assets under Your Control: Because we are minority shareholders in some of the businesses, there’s at least R500-million worth of assets, but there’s also a hell of a lot owing!

Number of People under Your Leadership: It varies, depending on the contracts, but the staff complement is about 500

Management Style: Open, transparent, team based and participative

Personal Best Achievement: Our founder (my father) retired at 62 and handed over to me. He said he never “gave me” the business; rather, he insists, I took it!

Person Who Has Had the Biggest Influence on Your Life: Wendy and I have been married for 55 years. She looked after the home while I looked after the business. Without that partnership, we would not be where we are today

Person Who Has Had the Biggest Influence on Your Career: My father, Pieter Malcolm Duys – an entrepreneur, hardworking engineer, and opportunist. His wisdom and advice over Friday evening whisky sessions were invaluable in cementing the course of our business

Person You Would Most Like to Meet: I try to play the piano, and I would love the chance to meet the great Oscar Petersen

Businessperson Who Has Impressed You Most: Toyota South Africa president Andy Kirby

Philosophy of Life: I do a lot of cycling, so I always say: “When the business starts to interfere with your cycling, change the business!” It’s like meditation on wheels, which helps to separate the wood from the trees. I also believe that sleep – at any time of the day, often for just a few minutes – clears the thinking and rejuvenates the mind, and that you can’t do it all yourself; leave space for others, but make a contribution

Biggest Ever Opportunity: Building a business which still stands today, decades later

Biggest Ever Disappointment: The loss of our son Pieter at the age of 46 in 2022; he was CEO of our engineering operations at the time

Hope for the Future: A stable, prosperous South Africa with a 5% annual growth rate

Favourite Reading: Biographies, BizNews, Maverick, M&G and, of course, Engineering News & Mining Weekly

Favourite TV Programme: Parker Schnabel & Co’s gold mining feats, and sports – mainly cycling and rugby

Favourite Food/Drink: Anything and everything

Favourite Music: Classical, jazz and blues

Favourite Sport: Cycling

Hobbies: My business and music

Car: An old Porsche Cayman, a Prado and an Auris

Pets: None

Miscellaneous Dislikes: Most (if not all) politicians, bad driving and lawlessness on our roads, and the terrible work ethic of many fellow South Africans

Married: To Wendy Nola Stayt

Children: Louise, Michael Pieter (deceased) and Carri

Clubs: Westville Cycle Club