Magel van de Venter says goodbye to Maropeng

Magel van de Venter vividly remembers her drive to Maropeng on her first day, some eight and a half years ago.

“I drove towards those pillars (at the entrance) and I remember wondering if I would be able to make an impact,” she said. Magel bade farewell to Maropeng today to retire with her husband in Bloemfontein.

As a former senior member of the Gauteng Education Department, Van de Venter remembers she was well aware of the educational significance of Maropeng, the official visitor centre to the Cradle of Humankind, and saw the importance of ensuring that schools realised it was a key destination to expose learners to.

In the years that followed she would wear three proverbial hats in her role at Maropeng: leading the sales, customer relations and marketing for the schools side of the business. And her impact has been felt.

“My proudest moment,” she said, “was when we had 8 000 children visit Maropeng in the course of a single month. It was a target we set and we managed to achieve it sometime in 2009 or 2010, and it’s a record that we have yet to break.”

With its newly upgraded facilities for schools at Hominin House, she has a feeling that Maropeng might soon break the record. The project, which Van de Venter drove, is one that she's particularly proud of.

“It started off as a sketch on a serviette and to see it built the way it is now, is just wonderful. We already have five bookings for March.”

Dorcus Tshabalala, who worked with Van de Venter on school reservations for more than five years, was very emotional.

“She unleashed my innermost,” Tshabalala says. “I was made to be able to express my feelings, make recommendations, take decisions. Whenever she is away she knows and I know that I can carry on with my work as long as everything is in order.”

She also praised Van de Venter’s open-door policy as well as her attention to detail.

“She has an open-door policy and she practices what she preaches. You can go to her at any time with whatever challenge you may have, be it work related or personal.”

Sales executive Mmathabo Maine agrees: “Magel made me feel welcome in her office every day and I could talk to her about anything. Her advice is priceless and will always mean something to me. She made me feel valuable and not [like] just another employee; I will always be grateful to her.”

Van de Venter was emotional when asked what she will miss most about Maropeng.

“The people that I work with. I work very closely with staff. I think to be a manager doesn't mean to be the boss. You need to inspire and uplift as well. Of course I will stay in touch.”

Van de Venter, who says she will “always be a teacher” at heart, believes Maropeng will grow as an educational destination for schools and parents.

“It’s not just that we are part of the curriculum and [because of] the huge scientific efforts that are happening here,” she says. “This is a World Heritage Site; this iconic building is such an important part of our history. A child that isn’t exposed to this is honestly missing out.”