Masakhe 02_DIGITAL PAPERTURN - Flipbook - Page 7
LEGENDARY PROFESSIONALS
become his professional hallmark. He
brings out a tray of coffee and Chelsea
buns, slowly and meticulously. Despite
his age, Marten is more prepared than I
am for our interview, proudly pointing
at two massive folders, one red, one
white: His life’s work.
After attending Frensham Heights,
where he was Head Boy, and
completing two years of National
Service in the Royal Artillery, he
pursued a B.Sc. in Estate Management
at the College of Estate Management,
then part of London University. It
was here, and in his subsequent
qualification as a Chartered Surveyor
with the Royal Institution of Chartered
Surveyors (RICS) in 1965, that he was
exposed to a valuation methodology
based on thorough research, legal
precedent, and empirical evidence.
From 1962 to 1966, Marten honed
his skills in London’s professional
property valuation scene, skills he
would soon find were largely absent
in his new home.
Marten’s South African career
began at Syfrets Trust in Cape
Town, first briefly in 1961 and then
permanently from 1966, where he
quickly rose to Manager of the
Property Valuation Department. It was
here that he applied his rigorous UK
training to a South African context.
His work was defined by a forensic
attention to detail and a willingness
to tackle the most complex and
challenging cases
One such case involved the
government’s acquisition of
properties for missile research
along the coastline from Arniston
ISSUE 2
5
DECEMBER 2 025
