Cape Town - Well-known Cape Town businessman, Dr Gerald Wolman, celebrated his 90th birthday recently. Wolman is also the Honorary Consul of Georgia in Cape Town and a past president of the Cape Chamber of Commerce.
He was not born with a silver spoon in his mouth, he says. He had to work hard for all he achieved. He comes from an entrepreneurial family.
He grew up in Napier where his parents had the local hotel.
Wolman started his tertiary education with a B.Com at the University of Cape Town in 1945.
He built up the Wolman Motors company from a local petrol station in Cape Town to a national group.
Wolman, for instance, had the bright idea to advertise on a giant billboard.
He also went overseas to study the motor industry.
Wolman Motors, for instance, became the sole importer of Alpha Romeo in South Africa. He imported the first of these cars to SA. He also imported BMWs.
Wolman also played a major role in developing motor racing in SA. He even built his own racing car - the "Wolman Special".
He was even an entrepreneur in the export of crayfish.
The 90th birthday celebration was attended by, among others, the Georgian ambassador in South Africa, Beka Dvali, other members of the diplomatic corps and local business people. Among family members who attended were his eldest son who came from London and a grandson who came from New York.
WATCH: Celebrating the extraordinary business career of Gerald Wolman:
(Video by Gys Verwey)
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