Porterville’s legacy reads better than its population stats.
Perched at the foot of the Olifants River Mountains, Porterville doesn’t make much noise, but it was and still is home to some pretty remarkable people.
The town itself began in 1863, when Frederick John Owen, a practical man of the 1820 Settler variety, looked at his farm Pomona and decided it could do with a bit of subdivision. As for the name, well, it honours a man who never actually hailed from Porterville. William Porter, Attorney General of the Cape Colony from 1839 to 1866, lent his name to the town as a gesture of admiration. A liberal reformer with a formidable legal mind, Porter was instrumental in shaping the Cape’s constitution and advocating for a non-racial franchise—an idea so ahead of its time that it would spend the next century being largely ignored.
Then there was Pieter Grobbelaar (born in 1908). He grew up to become a South African Army general who rose through the ranks at a time when military careers were forged through discipline and strategy. After serving with distinction during World War II, he earned the Distinguished Service Order and Star of South Africa.
Perhaps the most formidable son of Porterville is Whitey Basson, who was born in 1946. He took a route to prominence through aisles, logistics and relentless efficiency. As the long-time CEO of Shoprite Holdings, Basson transformed a modest grocery business into Africa’s largest food retailer. His leadership style was famously hands-on, pragmatic and allergic to nonsense. He expanded aggressively, acquired strategically and focused obsessively on affordability, reshaping how millions of people shop for food. Basson’s success wasn’t flashy; it was systematic. If Porterville ever wondered what became of the boy who paid attention in maths class, this is the answer.
More recently, Porterville has become home to artist Aldo Brincat, whose career suggests that reinvention is occasionally necessary. Brincat’s first two professional lives unfolded over 35 years as a theatre practitioner and teacher, which trained his eye for space, narrative and human presence. In 2018, he embarked on a third career as a self-taught visual artist, establishing an international footprint through solo and group exhibitions across South Africa and internationally. Grounded in conceptual thinking, his work is expressed through drawing, photography, performance, writing and site-specific installation. He’s best known for Pop-Up Monument (2021), erected at historic trauma sites across Cape Town, and for Becoming Upon Arriving, an installation suspended in Sweden’s Wik forest in 2023. Interestingly, he and his husband Carl Collison live in Whitey Basson’s former home.
Sharing the town’s present-day cultural landscape is fashion designer Ella Buter, founder of the label Superella which is known for designs that advocate individuality over trend obedience. Ella operates at a remove from fashion’s usual noise, producing work that favours comfort and looking good every day. Superella’s appeal lies in its confidence to do less, better and, according to Ella, ‘creating a standout silhouette’.
What unites all these sons and daughters of Porterville is a certain unshowy resolve—people who get on with things. Perhaps it’s the mountains? Whatever the reason, Porterville’s personalities tend to leave their mark in life.
Photos: 1 newsletter.co.uk; 2 xwhos.com; 3 businesstech.co.za
