Sporty and full of fun, the Krambecks have embraced an active, outdoorsy lifestyle in Ballito.
On meeting the Krambeck family, it’s clear they love spending time together. Wayne and Louise are warm and laid-back and, together with their three children – Caitlyn (17), Jaiden (16) and Jake (9) – they’re easy to be around.
A dedicated husband and dad, Wayne is the senior vice president of operations at Zimbali and works specifically on the Zimbali Lakes development. An avid golfer, he has been a member of the PGA for over 30 years and has worked on golf courses around the country and abroad, including the Mines Resort in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Growing up, Wayne was always active and played almost every sport available to him. “I took a particular liking to golf and watched the likes of Gary Player doing so well when I was quite young,” he says. “I really only took golf up seriously when I finished my compulsory military service and qualified to play on the local winter tour in 1991. I met many people in the greater golfing community, which eventually allowed me to get into the management side of golf at estates, namely Fancourt, Pinnacle Point and Steenberg, to mention just a few.”
Wayne’s golfing career has had many highlights, the most memorable of which was playing in a Sunshine Tour event at Fancourt in the third round with Sam Torrance, who was ranked the number one European player at the time. He has also had the opportunity to play social rounds with Ernie Els, Darren Clarke and Lee Westwood. “Being a professional golfer allowed me to play with some international celebrities, such as Ronan Keating and Michael Bolton, who were both amazing people and highly competitive,” he says.
Shifting from professional golf into the management of golf estates wasn’t a difficult move for Wayne. “I quickly realised that playing the tour at a level to support a family one day would be extremely tough, so a quick decision needed to be made,” he admits. “I absolutely love the game so a natural transition was to go into the management side of golfing estates. I am also a family man and spending months away from the family probably would not have worked out well for me, to be honest.”
On his travels, Wayne has played on some amazing courses around the world, but he has a special appreciation for our local offering. “People always think that international golf courses are so much better than what we have in South Africa, but we are so blessed with the quality of design and maintenance of our golf courses here,” he says. “And to top it off, we pay so much less compared to many countries around the world.”
Wayne was drawn to the North Coast in 2019 when he was offered the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to work with Zimbali Lakes on the development of a new golf course and estate. Professionally, he loves the challenge of developing a new lifestyle estate and has found it deeply rewarding working with a passionate team and seeing the space transform and grow. Him and his family love the lifestyle the area offers and enjoy spending time outdoors. “My kids are all very sporty and highly competitive!” he says. “As a family we love going to the beach, playing sport together or sometimes just chilling at home around the pool.” Life in Ballito has been a positive change for the family and they are happy to have found a sense of community. “We are so blessed that all our kids have an amazing circle of friends, which is so important for us as parents as it keeps many worries away,” says Wayne.
This year, the family will be spending the holidays in Mozambique, which will be a welcome break from work, as well as the kids’ busy school and sporting calendars. They’re looking forward to spending a relaxed festive season together away from the hustle and bustle.
Text: Jennifer Campbell Photographs: Chris Allan Photo Makeup: Michelle Haywood Location: Zimbali Lakes
