Sanlam-amptenare uit die volk gebore om die volk te dien?
Date
2018
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Suid-Afrikaanse Akademie vir Wetenskap en Kuns
Abstract
Die Suid-Afrikaanse lewensversekeringsmaatskappy Sanlam het in 1918 die lewenslig aanskou
te midde van verskeie verweefde ekonomiese, politieke en maatskaplike faktore wat meegewerk
het om ’n taamlik stewige stigtingstydperk vir die jong maatskappy te verseker. Op politieke
gebied was die stigting aan die opwelling van Afrikanernasionalisme gekoppel (Koen 1986:60-
68; Le Roux 1953:128; Scannell 1968:11). Dié nasionalisme het gepaardgegaan met die stigting
van die Nasionale Party (NP) in 1914. Die volksgevoel het ontstaan uit die benarde maatskaplike
posisie waarin talle Afrikaners hulle ná die Anglo-Boereoorlog bevind het. Afrikanerleiers het
besef dat opheffing slegs moontlik was indien Afrikaners ook ’n aandeel in die sakewêreld
verwerf. Dié wete, tesame met die sukses van die Helpmekaarbeweging en die gaping in die
bestaande versekeringsbedryf in Suid-Afrika vir ’n lewensversekeringsmaatskappy
veral gemik
op Afrikaners, het regstreeks tot die stigting van Sanlam gelei. Die maatskappy was hoofsaaklik
aanvanklik op die Afrikanermark gemik, maar het uit die staanspoor die hele Suid-Afrikaanse
mark bedien. Dit het sakesin gemaak – ’n suksesvolle onderneming in die Suid-Afrikaanse
mark wat sy besigheidsfokus direk mik op ’n segment van die samelewing wat grotendeels
buite die versekeringsmark gestaan het, en wat terselfdertyd kon bydra tot Afrikaneropheffing. Die vraag wat in hierdie artikel beantwoord word, is in hoeverre dié voorafvermelde konteks
en ook veral die Sanlam-slagspreuk “Uit die volk gebore om die volk te dien” in die aanstelling
van die eerste amptenare weerspieël is. Het die maatskappy net op wit Afrikaanssprekende
NP-ondersteuners staatgemaak om op dreef te kom? Was daar dus genoeg sakekundigheid in
eie geledere om dié nuwe Afrikaner-wa deur die eerste drif te kry?
The South African life assurance company, Sanlam, was established in 1918 as a direct result of Afrikaner ambitions. This ethnic nationalism was inspired by the advances of the Afrikaans language movement and the formation of the National Party (NP) in 1914 as a political home to many Afrikaners. An objective with the establishment of Sanlam as a life assurance company was the economic empowerment of Afrikaners in South Africa. Economic upliftment was the goal. From the beginning, the company was known principally as an Afrikaans institution focusing on Afrikaner interests. Sanlam wanted to establish itself as a South African establishment rendering a service to the entire South African community. That vision made business sense – a successful enterprise in the South African market that also contributed to Afrikaner empowerment. The question is whether that focus resulted in the company relying on an exclusive Afrikaansspeaking NP supporter base in its staff composition. This question is raised especially in view of Sanlam’s Afrikaans slogan at that time: “Uit die volk gebore om die volk te dien”. The interpretation of the meaning of the word “volk” is contrasting. Afrikaners of that period understood the word as referring to the Afrikaner people. “Volk” is translated into English as “people” or “nation”. The slogan therefore reads as follows in English: “Born from the people to serve the people” – implying a wider involvement than only the Afrikaners. Pronouncements of Afrikaner politicians contributed to this confusion of tongues. The Afrikaner leader JBM Hertzog, for instance, on the one hand considered the concept “Afrikaners” to include Afrikaans and English speakers. On the other hand, he maintained that the two groups perhaps will be united somewhere in the future. Sanlam leaders’ views in this regard varied between a reference to the “Afrikaans-speaking section” of the “Afrikanervolk” and a statement that the company is a truly Afrikaans national institution in the broadest interpretation of the word. Another reference in this regard is the view that Sanlam had developed from service to the section of the population from which it originated and that the staff members are in the service of the Afrikanervolk. Regardless of all the rhetoric, business sense played the determining role eventually. The company indeed saw the light of day with three non-Afrikaners as staff members in its midst. Two Scotsmen occupied senior positions in the new company and a Jewish woman assisted the personnel in the correct use of business Afrikaans. During the establishment years, a number of English-speakers were appointed. However, the staff overwhelmingly remained Afrikaans-speaking. Despite or perhaps as a result of the disparate interpretation of the company slogan, non-Afrikaners were involved in the company from the beginning as well as a senior Afrikaans staff member who openly exhibited his support for a party other than the NP. Although a minority by far, they were accepted as normal staff members. From the preceding analysis it turns out that the Sanlam slogan retrospectively can be rephrased as “Mainly, but not completely born from the Afrikaner people to serve the South African nation”.
The South African life assurance company, Sanlam, was established in 1918 as a direct result of Afrikaner ambitions. This ethnic nationalism was inspired by the advances of the Afrikaans language movement and the formation of the National Party (NP) in 1914 as a political home to many Afrikaners. An objective with the establishment of Sanlam as a life assurance company was the economic empowerment of Afrikaners in South Africa. Economic upliftment was the goal. From the beginning, the company was known principally as an Afrikaans institution focusing on Afrikaner interests. Sanlam wanted to establish itself as a South African establishment rendering a service to the entire South African community. That vision made business sense – a successful enterprise in the South African market that also contributed to Afrikaner empowerment. The question is whether that focus resulted in the company relying on an exclusive Afrikaansspeaking NP supporter base in its staff composition. This question is raised especially in view of Sanlam’s Afrikaans slogan at that time: “Uit die volk gebore om die volk te dien”. The interpretation of the meaning of the word “volk” is contrasting. Afrikaners of that period understood the word as referring to the Afrikaner people. “Volk” is translated into English as “people” or “nation”. The slogan therefore reads as follows in English: “Born from the people to serve the people” – implying a wider involvement than only the Afrikaners. Pronouncements of Afrikaner politicians contributed to this confusion of tongues. The Afrikaner leader JBM Hertzog, for instance, on the one hand considered the concept “Afrikaners” to include Afrikaans and English speakers. On the other hand, he maintained that the two groups perhaps will be united somewhere in the future. Sanlam leaders’ views in this regard varied between a reference to the “Afrikaans-speaking section” of the “Afrikanervolk” and a statement that the company is a truly Afrikaans national institution in the broadest interpretation of the word. Another reference in this regard is the view that Sanlam had developed from service to the section of the population from which it originated and that the staff members are in the service of the Afrikanervolk. Regardless of all the rhetoric, business sense played the determining role eventually. The company indeed saw the light of day with three non-Afrikaners as staff members in its midst. Two Scotsmen occupied senior positions in the new company and a Jewish woman assisted the personnel in the correct use of business Afrikaans. During the establishment years, a number of English-speakers were appointed. However, the staff overwhelmingly remained Afrikaans-speaking. Despite or perhaps as a result of the disparate interpretation of the company slogan, non-Afrikaners were involved in the company from the beginning as well as a senior Afrikaans staff member who openly exhibited his support for a party other than the NP. Although a minority by far, they were accepted as normal staff members. From the preceding analysis it turns out that the Sanlam slogan retrospectively can be rephrased as “Mainly, but not completely born from the Afrikaner people to serve the South African nation”.
Description
CITATION: Beukes, W., Ehlers, A. & Verhoef, G. 2018. Sanlam-amptenare uit die volk gebore om die volk te dien?. Tydskrif vir Geesteswetenskappe, 58(3):548-566, doi:10.17159/2224-7912/2018/v58n3a7.
The original publication is available at http://www.scielo.org.za
The original publication is available at http://www.scielo.org.za
Keywords
SANLAM -- History, Life insurance, Afrikaners -- Nationalism
Citation
Beukes, W., Ehlers, A. & Verhoef, G. 2018. Sanlam-amptenare uit die volk gebore om die volk te dien?. Tydskrif vir Geesteswetenskappe, 58(3):548-566, doi:10.17159/2224-7912/2018/v58n3a7