🌿 My Story – By Gareth Fourie

I am Gareth Fourie, 24 years old, and this is the story of how my passion found me.

When I finished school, I wasn’t sure what my path would be. Life led me to Labita Event Wedding Venue, where I started out as a simple runner fetching, carrying, helping wherever I could. It wasn’t glamorous, but it was the beginning of something that would shape my entire life. Day by day, I began to notice how much joy weddings bring, not only to couples but also to the people who work behind the scenes to make it happen. That’s when I realized: this is my calling.

As the months went by, I began helping with décor. It was there that I fell in love with flowers, with creating beautiful spaces, and with the tiny details that transform a day into a memory. Every ribbon tied, every flower placed, lit a spark in me.

In 2023, I packed my bags and travelled to America to work on a farm. It wasn’t easy long days, hard work but it taught me discipline. I saved every cent I could and prayed for God’s guidance. I asked Him to show me the path He had planned for me. When I returned to South Africa, I was given an unexpected blessing: a small piece of land between Pretoria and Hartbeespoort. At that moment, I didn’t yet know what I would build there, but I knew it was the soil where my dreams would one day take root.

Life carried me back to Labita, where I started working weddings again first part-time, then full-time. Slowly, I worked my way up to manager. I learned not only how to run events but also how to cook in the kitchen, arrange flowers, and lead a team. I embraced every task, big or small, because I believe every part of the journey teaches something valuable.

Then came January 2025 the month I took my leap of faith. With determination, prayer, and the dream burning in my heart, I began building my own venue: Angami Lodge. We started with the chapel, the very heart of the venue the place where couples will stand hand in hand and say “yes” to forever. Every brick I lay, every beam I raise, brings me closer to that dream.

It’s not easy. Building something from nothing never is. But every challenge reminds me of the vision I carry: to create a place where people come together, where love is celebrated, and where memories are made that last a lifetime.

More than anything, I want to inspire young people like me. To remind them that you are never too young to dream. That if you work hard, keep your faith, and believe in the dream that God plants in your heart, it will grow into something far greater than you can imagine.

This is not just my story it’s the beginning of Angami Lodge, and the start of many stories still to come.