Gavin Varejes

Gavin Varejes early on

Born and raised in Durban in Kwazulu-Natal, Gavin Varejes became a lifesaver and water polo player while he was in school and in the army. As many of the local Durbanites do, he spent nearly every day on the beach enjoying the sun and surf in the South African sub-tropical city. With his lifesaving, Gavin learned a lot about water safety, different crafts and took part in Sunday competitions regularly. After finishing high school his conscription papers arrived and Gavin completed his national service with the SADF here he continued with lifesaving and water polo. When this was completed he started studying at the University of Durban where he attained a diploma in marketing. He started in Durban with equipment sales of photographic paraphernalia but had to move to Johannesburg when the business failed because of it being undercut by grey trade.

Backing a multitude of ventures

When Gavin Varejes landed in Johannesburg, he tried his hand at many different lines of work, mostly concentrated on cellular technology. After a few years of gaining invaluable experience, Gavin started Richmark Holdings. Early stage investment has always been the hardest to come by and start-ups are often forced to rely on family, getting into debilitating debt or, simply giving up. Angel investors provide a niche service of making funding and often mentoring available for young businesses needing a boost. With focus on telecommunications, Richmark holds an impressive portfolio of companies in areas from digital advertising to exclusive properties and even an internet service provider. Currently Richmark is one of the principal angel investment concerns in South Africa and are investigating expansion to Kenya.

Charity at heart

Gavin Varejes knows how to get VIPs to sponsor important causes. MTN, Hifi Corp, Mitre, Tsogo Sun and Budget are a few of the sponsors he has managed to procure for the charitable venture he started called South African Rugby Legends Association. An avid sports fan, Gavin has some of the biggest names in South African sporting history work with him to raise funds for a variety of causes. At a recent charity event in aid of the Ernie Els Autism Centre, a group of former Boks took part in raising funds. Stefan Terblanche, James Small, Kryno Otto and Japie Mulder to name but a few contributed to this day being a huge success.

At home with Gavin Varejes

Gavin Varejes met his wife in a coffee shop in the affluent area of Hyde Park and they have been married for over 20 years. Gavin and Jo-Ann’s marriage is blessed with two children; Caily and Trent. Gavin enjoys seafood and the odd tequila when out and about or entertaining at home where he prefers to spend most of his time enjoying time with his family. Gavin collects sports and other memorabilia and proudly displays his collection in his office. Being a Durbanite, Gavin supports the Sharks even though he is about 600 kilometres away from their waters.