“I Couldn’t Be Prouder”: Gent Shows Glow Up in New Zealand After Living in a Caravan in SA

• A man shared his life story, showing how he went from living in a caravan in SA to building a multimillion-dollar company
• The journey included moving to Australia and starting a business with his brothers
• Social media users praised his resilience for building a successful life after coming up from a harsh childhood

A South African man has inspired thousands after sharing his incredible journey from poverty to building a multimillion-dollar company. Business owner Jacques Greeff, who now lives in Australia, posted his personal story on Instagram, showing where he started and how far he's come. The post inspired thousands to never give up on their dreams.

Jacques's story starts in 1997 when his parents were bankrupt, and the family lived in a caravan in South Africa. That same year, they moved to New Zealand, where young Jacques had no friends at school. In 2005, the family moved again, this time to Australia.

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In high school, he met a girl who would change his life. By 2006, he graduated high school and went to university, but dropped out in 2007. In 2009, he proposed to his high school girlfriend, and in 2010, he married her at just 21 years old. In 2011, he had no clear career path and spent 2012 saving money doing odd jobs. He bought his first apartment that year and also started a company with his brothers.

By 2015, he sold his apartment to fund their business. In 2016, the business finally started getting some traction, and in 2017, they hit their first R1 million in revenue for the year. In 2018, he became a dad. In 2019, they hit R4 million in revenue, and their team started growing. Then 2020 hit, and everything changed.

The pandemic hurt Jacques and his brothers' company. Their revenue suddenly dropped by 90% in 2020. They were living off a mattress on the floor, and Jacques started drinking heavily from the stress. A competitor who was also struggling merged with them that same year.

By 2021, things turned around dramatically. They became a team of 400 people and hit over R40 million in revenue. In 2022, they sold the company for over 180 million Australian dollars (over R2 billion). In 2023, he went back to drinking and had a cancer scare.

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In 2024, he started focusing on his health, bought his dream home, spent time with family, and travelled. In 2025, he got the itch to get back in business, started a new company, assembled a team, and is now trying to build another 180 million Australian dollars company.

Social media users react to the glow-up story

@art.abbywhiteley gushed:

"I couldn't be prouder to have been on this journey with you for 21 years now! What a ride it's been. We have been each other's biggest supporters, and I feel so thankful. Love you with all my heart. ❤️."

@alexturkovic asked:

"Congrats on pushing through and your success. What was the first business you sold?"

@haliiiidaf questioned:

"Updates on the parents 🙊."

@sirmezgerofkensington said:

"Stay humble and never forget the struggles, congratulations."

@marina__the__motivator added:

"Always lovely to see South Africans doing well, you have all come a very very long way. Keep your head high and stay strong. Keep pushing on!"

How did COVID-19 impact businesses

Jacques Greeff shared his story on his Instagram page @jacquesgreeff_, where he posts content about running a business and what to do and not do. His experience with COVID-19 nearly destroying his company isn't unique.

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According to research by PNAS, COVID-19 caused massive problems for small businesses in 2020. A survey of more than 5,800 small businesses found that businesses that dealt with customers face-to-face, all reported drops on employment of over 50%. The research also showed that if the crisis lasted 4 months instead of 1 month, only 47% of businesses expected to still be open by December.

Watch the Instagram post here.

More SA glow-up stories

• Briefly News recently reported on a motivating TikTok post by a man who showed his car's glow-up from 2015 to 2025.
• A local content creator did an impressive bathroom makeover, sharing before-and-after snaps that inspired even people who don't own homes.
• A South African man inspired the nation with his glow-up from a car wash worker to owning a Toyota Fortuner.

Source: Briefly News