After a quarter of a century of dedicated service, Zabeth Zühlsdorff has bid Rand Aid Association farewell and is starting the next chapter of her life.
For the past 18 years, she has served as the general manager of Rand Aid’s Services and Advance Division, lending her expertise to ensure the smooth operations of the life-right villages, Ron Smith Care Centre, maintenance, grounds, stores, laundry and the Cookchill catering unit.
She formally retired on April 30, 2024, and says the next part of her story will centre around making the most of her golden years, alongside her husband Ludwig.
“Rand Aid became part of my life,” says Zabeth. “I have been happy over the years and was fortunate to be given many opportunities to grow and develop – from managing a village to moving to head office and taking on greater responsibilities. Highlights have been my years at Elphin Lodge, being involved in developing Inyoni Creek, and being a part of developing the Eden Alternative philosophy of care at the Ron Smith Care Centre.”
Championed by Zabeth, Ron Smith Care Centre was the first organisation in Africa to achieve milestone 2 on the Eden Alternative Registry, in April 2020.
Dynamic woman
Zabeth is a qualified social worker. She holds a Bachelor of Arts Honours, a Master of Business Leadership, and a law degree, obtained cum laude in 2016 through Unisa.
Her early career days were spent as a social worker at the Department of Welfare, but she was soon promoted to a planning and policy formulation position at the head office. She was later appointed as a deputy director of the department. After resigning, she was approached to act as a consultant to the department, drafting policies and procedures.
She joined Rand Aid in April 1999 as the manager of Elphin Lodge and Ron Smith Care Centre, before being transferred to head office in 2004.
“Zabeth has spent 25 years of dedicated, loyal service at Rand Aid Association and has been a great asset to the organisation,” says Paul Carter, the chairman of Rand Aid Association’s board.
“I have great appreciation for my former work colleagues, who have a passion for making a difference in the lives of the residents they serve. I wish Rand Aid the very best for the future; it is a great organisation with excellent services. I was privileged to have worked here for so long,” says Zabeth.
Zabeth Zühlsdorff championed Ron Smith Care Centre’s Eden Alternative journey. She is pictured with Rayne Stroebel of the Eden Alternative.