Women’s Month: Heike Gerntholtz
For Women’s Month: Heike Gerntholtz, nestled in the heart of Cape Town’s travel scene, is a woman whose journey with one of the world’s most luxurious trains began not on board, but behind a travel agent’s desk in Germany. Meet Heike Gerntholtz – passionate marketer, storyteller, and lifelong ambassador for Rovos Rail.
“I was the youngest, and probably the most clueless, at the agency,” she laughs, recalling the day a man walked in asking to “travel Africa by train.” Her colleagues, noting her African roots, nudged him in her direction. That single interaction sparked what would become the agency’s most legendary booking – four tickets aboard Rovos Rail from Cape Town to Dar es Salaam, with a Kenyan safari to follow.
The train was a mystery to Heike at the time. She had only heard of the Blue Train. But when those clients returned raving about their cross-continental journey – and the personal call they received from Rovos founder Rohan Vos – Heike was captivated. So much so that when she returned to South Africa as a 20-year-old, she didn’t buy a ticket, she applied for a job!
That was in 1997, and what began with two months on the train as a “rooming girl” soon evolved into a long-standing career, with a short stint in reservations and then in marketing and sales, today focusing on German-speaking Europe, Eastern Europe, and the Nordics.
“I love the product – the train, the journey, the people,” she says. “But what’s kept me here are the souls behind it. Some colleagues I’ve worked with for over 27 years. And I have a huge respect for Rohan.”
“I’m also grateful for the flexibility and the fact that I can work fairly independently in our Cape Town satellite office.”
Her love for Rovos Rail extends far beyond the office. One route in particular – Cape Town to Dar es Salaam – holds her heart. She’s done the trip three times: twice as a hostess and once as a guest with her children and parents for their 50th anniversary. The memories? Unforgettable.
“That journey showcases Africa in its rawest, most beautiful form,” she reflects. “It’s incredible, sometimes heartbreaking, but always profound. It makes you feel proud – and alive.”
While Heike’s days are now filled with emails, travel expos, and liaising with agents, she still finds time to roam the wild places of Africa. When not in the office, you’ll find her on a hiking trail in the Karoo or exploring parts of the continent she hasn’t yet discovered.
She calls herself “stubborn, positive, and straight-forward” – traits that have helped her carve a unique space within the travel industry. She speaks fluent German, though she’s quick to point out, with a grin, that she’s not actually German.
“I’ve grown with this company,” she says. “One of my proudest moments was realizing – ten years in – that I could make decisions confidently, even without Rohan around. That shift in mindset changed everything.”
Her goals for the future are simple: find more balance, travel more, and maybe – just maybe – cut back on those dangerously addictive Root Stock chips in the office.
Heike counts herself lucky every day – she does what she loves, works because she can, not because she has to, and wouldn’t have it any other way.
Written by Linda Sparks
