Meet your neighbour, Claudia Niehaus

Having spent most of her life in Johannesburg, Paulshof resident Claudia Niehaus recalled her journey to becoming a member of the Sandton community.
“I can tell you, though, that when I moved to Johannesburg in the early 60s, Mandela had just been arrested; the Balalaika Hotel was in the middle of the ‘bush’ – the area was all farmland including the lily field where Mandela and his group of Rivonia trialists held anti-apartheid strategic meetings,” said Niehaus.
“In the 70s I worked in Wynberg and from my office overlooking the highway, I enjoyed watching farm activities on the site that later became the corporate offices of Barloworld.”

Niehaus agreed to share her memories of Sandton after participating in the Bryanston East community parkrun on January 20.

“As kids, we hiked along the Bronkhorstspruit from Braamfontein to Rivonia, and there was hardly any development in Rivonia,” Niehaus recalled, remembering how development began when she began attending high school at Hyde Park High in 1990.

Niehaus said she had moved around Johannesburg 21 times before planting her roots in Sandton for convenience. Suburbs within the city where Niehaus had lived included Little Falls, West Rand, Vorna Valley, Douglasdale, Buccleuch, and Rivonia.

Niehaus explained that she was no stranger at putting in the effort towards realising her goals, all of which enabled her to be able to school and raise her children in Sandton.

“I started working in Grade 10, every weekend and public holiday,” said Niehaus, recalling how she owned her own house in Little Falls at 19. “I’m not averse to hard work, and I can proudly say I have experience in many areas and industries.”

Niehaus said her main attraction to Sandton was its centrality – with convenient access to routes towards Pretoria or out of Gauteng. Niehaus also appreciated how the area offered diverse activities to suit different age groups and interest groups.

“Sandton may not have ‘the mountain’ or the ocean but we sure have a fair number of gems and a plethora of activities for all types of enthusiasts. I squeeze as much as I can on weekends because I work a full day and need to fit in the usual daily demands but I find exercise is my go-to destress mechanism – the social aspect of it too, I am competitive but not the bad sportsman type. I’m competitive and try my personal best to excel and break personal barriers.”

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