02/04/2026
Besters Ford - A Karoo Legacy on Four Wheels
Some businesses are built. Others are born and shaped by family, community, and life in the Central and Upper Karoo.
Bester Garage is one of those rare stories.
In 1946, Oupa Joos Bester opened a small garage in Victoria West.
He had no idea that all four of his sons - Flip, Wolf, Christie, and Eddie - would one day join him.
He joked often:
“If I knew all my sons were going to join the business, I would have had eight!”
But behind Joos, and behind every one of those sons, stood a woman whose strength shaped the entire Bester legacy:
Ouma Dolla.
She was the backbone of the Bester men - steady, patient, and unwavering.
She held the home together while the men worked late, travelled far, and served customers across the Karoo.
She set the example that every Bester wife would follow.
Because the truth is this:
The Bester men built the business, but the Bester women made it possible.
They waited alone on birthdays.
They raised children while their husbands delivered vehicles across the country.
They understood the calling - that serving the Karoo sometimes meant sacrificing their own time.
Their quiet loyalty is woven into every chapter of this family’s story.
Through the decades, the Besters sold everything from Chrysler and Valiant to Studebaker and Mercedes‑Benz.
Young Eddie, armed with a B.Com from Stellenbosch, returned home to run the administration with precision and pride.
Then came the next generation.
Philip, Joos’s grandson and Christie’s son, joined in 1992.
Hendri, also Christie’s son, followed in 2000.
And in 2021, Philip’s son Chris stepped into the legacy - the third generation to carry the Bester name forward.
In 1994, the family acquired the Ford dealership, expanding their reach while staying true to the values that built their reputation:
friendliness, honesty, and treating every customer like a lifelong friend.
Because in the Karoo, customers do become lifelong friends.
Some families have bought vehicles from the Besters for three generations.
Some still tell stories about Oupa Joos and his sons.
Some remember Ouma Dolla’s warmth and the wives who welcomed them with coffee while the men worked on their cars.
Some pop in just to say hello - because that’s what community looks like out here.
Today, Bester’s Ford continues to serve Victoria West, De Aar, and the vast Karoo beyond - not with corporate polish, but with the warmth of a family that has been part of this landscape for 80 years.
Besters FORD - Since 1946.
Three generations. Two towns. One Karoo family serving their community with heart.
Besters Ford - Victoria West: 053 621 0077
Chris: 0827976040
Philip: 0824929814
Besters Ford - de Aar: 053 6311 934
Hendri: 0824685199
Besters FORD Victoria West, Northern Cape DeAar Northern Cape Loxton, Northern Cape, South Africa
