Annette Peters is a woman who has reached those higher peaks after traversing many valleys and footpaths, many lows and highs. Nearing eight decades of life, she has turned the passion of youth into the compassion of age, gaining a wider horizon along the way. She speaks of her life with humility and quiet pride, radiating energy, gratitude and purpose.
Deeply thankful to be living in Greyton, she has found a profound sense of belonging and community, and a strong desire to give back. Her days are still full. She grows and sells strawberries in summer, makes pickled fish at Easter and bakes Christmas puddings with remarkable vitality. “I had no idea I’d one day live in Greyton,” she says, “and I am immensely grateful.”
Growing up in Cape Town, Annette recalls a happy childhood in Vasco. “We were fortunate to be born in a brick house,” she smiles. “My dad and our wonderful neighbours built our house. We had space to play… we grew veggies and kept chickens. Until my adolescence, we were content and happy.” That sense of safety was shattered when her family was forcibly removed under the Group Areas Act. With little compensation, life became a struggle. At just 14, Annette went to work in a factory.
Life has a way of circling back. “I had no idea that many years later I’d live in the house my dad and his brothers built in Boschmanskloof,” she reflects. “A house with a garden, space to grow veggies and a magnificent view of the mountains. After all these years, I once again have a sense of belonging and peace.” Annette also obtained her matric certificate later in life and an ABET certificate through UNISA showing you are never too old to enrich yourself.
Music has always run through her life. “There was always music in our family. Everyone played something.” Though opportunities were missed, she sang in one opera, Nabucco. “That was a highlight of my life,” she says.
As a single mother in her fifties, Annette faced her hardest years. “I didn’t have enough money,” she remembers. “But my faith carried me. I told my children we were going through a hard time, and that we would make it out. I paved the way for them.”
Today, her children are educated and independent. “Success is making life work, making wise choices, regardless of hardship.” She honours her father’s legacy of service and generosity, believing deeply that “life is about giving.”
At peace with her past, Annette says, “I see the big picture. I have nothing to feel sorry for, nothing to apologise for. Nothing comes for free… you can sit on the sidewalk, or you can get up and do something to change your circumstances.”
Having climbed the mountain, Annette Peters now enjoys the spectacular view — and lights the path for others below.
