Public Benefit Organisation and non-profit school, Christel House South Africa, founded by the late German-born American businesswoman and philanthropist Christel DeHaan, is launching its Legacy Giving Programme at two breakfast events in Johannesburg and Cape Town this October. Former Edcon CEO Steve Ross, Chair of the Endless Success Foundation established by DeHaan, will co-host the events and speak about the lasting impact of purposeful philanthropy.
The events will bring together wealth managers, financial advisers and fiduciary and philanthropy specialists to explore how they can help clients turn wealth into lasting impact. They will introduce Christel House South Africa as a charitable beneficiary for clients wishing to support future generations through legacy giving.
DeHaan provides a powerful example. She co-founded Resort Condominiums International (RCI) in 1974 and grew it into a global enterprise with offices in 38 countries. After selling the business, she turned her resources and business acumen towards breaking the cycle of poverty.
In 1998, she founded Christel House International, based on the belief that quality education combined with holistic support (nutrition, transport, healthcare, social support and career development) could help children overcome the complex barriers created by poverty. More than 25 years later, Christel House has reached over 25,500 students globally.
“Christel believed that wealth could do more than meet an immediate need. Properly directed and carefully stewarded, it could continue changing lives for generations,” says Steve Ross, former Edcon CEO and current Chair of the Endless Success Foundation.
DeHaan structured her philanthropy to continue beyond her lifetime. The Endless Success Foundation, the private foundation she established, funds Christel House’s administrative and fundraising costs, helping ensure that 100% of donations to Christel House go towards programmes and services for students.
For advisers, legacy giving can create an opportunity to understand not only where clients want their assets to go, but the values and purpose they want their wealth to reflect.
There are also estate-planning considerations. Under South African tax legislation, property bequeathed to a qualifying, tax-exempt Public Benefit Organisation (PBO) may be deducted when determining the net value of an estate for estate-duty purposes. For clients with philanthropic intentions, a carefully structured charitable bequest can therefore create social impact while potentially reducing the estate’s estate-duty liability.
A legacy at work in South Africa
In South Africa, DeHaan’s vision took root in Ottery, Cape Town, where Christel House South Africa has spent 25 years supporting children and families from under-resourced communities across the Cape Flats.
The non-profit, no-fee school combines quality education with comprehensive support to help children overcome the barriers created by poverty. Its model provides 19 years of sustained support, from Grade RR through matric and for five years afterwards through its Career Development Programme, helping young people progress into further study and the world of work.
Today, 95% of its alumni are employed, studying or doing both, with graduates going on to careers ranging from medicine and law to technology and other professional fields.
The school is also expanding. By 2030, its Ottery campus is expected to serve approximately 1,410 learners, with ambitions to extend the Christel House model even further in South Africa.
“A legacy gift is about far more than what you leave behind. It is about what you make possible. Christel’s generosity is still opening doors for young people more than 25 years later and that impact will continue through their families and future generations,” says Lara Black, Development Director at Christel House South Africa.
Bringing legacy into the wealth conversation
Taking place during Christel DeHaan’s birthday month in October, the Legacy Giving Breakfasts will bring together professionals across wealth management, financial planning, fiduciary services and estate planning.
The Johannesburg breakfast takes place on 20 October at the Johannesburg Marriott Hotel Melrose Arch, followed by the Cape Town breakfast on 28 October at The Vineyard Hotel.
Guests will hear DeHaan’s story, meet a Christel House alumnus and hear from Ross about how legacy giving can create opportunities for generations to come. The events will explore how advisers can introduce charitable giving into estate-planning conversations and connect clients’ philanthropic intentions with Christel House South Africa’s established record of changing lives.
See event details below:
Johannesburg: Tuesday, 20 October 2026 – Marriott Hotel Melrose Arch
Cape Town: Wednesday, 28 October 2026 – The Vineyard Hotel
