VDMGA Inc: Empathy and expertise

What is now known as Van der Merwe-Greef-Andima (VDMGA) Inc was established on 1 October 1986 by Maria Catharina Greeff, the first admitted female attorney in then South West Africa. She went on to be the first woman conveyancer to be admitted in Namibia as well.

In 1987, her brother Barend 'Ben' Jacob van der Merwe joined the firm as full partner, and was later appointed as managing director in 1997.

In 2004, Thomas Hitjivirue Andima joined the firm after he was granted annual bursaries for the total period of his studies. He was admitted as a legal practitioner in 2013 and appointed as a director on 1 October 2013.

Over its 35 years in the industry, the firm has cultivated a plethora of professional talents, and made a tremendous impact on the legal landscape in the country, underscoring its commitment to its slogan 'justice must be seen to be done'.

The company has a broad client base from all walks of life, and serves the financial services, short- and long-term insurance, conveyancing and property, micro-lending, commercial and business sectors by servicing various private and public companies, CCs, partnerships, joint ventures, parastatals, municipalities and individuals.

Multifaceted mavens

The company has a well-structured and adequately equipped litigation and collection department, headed by Barend Jacob van der Merwe (senior), in which corporate and other clients are allocated to specific directors and are supported by the most updated software programmes and capable personnel with many years of experience in this field.

Their conveyancing department, headed by Schalk Steyn and assisted by Greeff in her capacity as consultant, continues to lead the way in assisting clients achieve their property ownership dreams - residential, commercial and everything in between.

“To transfer a house, you need to engage a competent law firm and conveyancer, as there are many legal requirements when buying a home and having it transferred to your name."

Conveyancers are key

“The reason people undertaking a property transaction also engage a third-party or conveyancer is the matter of escrow. Under usual circumstances, the two parties don’t know each other to the point at which they fully trust one another to the extent that they can just transfer funds or property between themselves. This is where the conveyancer would assist by putting the funds in a trust to be paid out once the property has been successfully transferred, ensuring both parties can have peace of mind during the transaction and title deed transfer.”

Given that the fees in a property transaction and transfer are prescribed, potential clients need not worry about shopping around for the lowest price for these services. However, given the scale and urgency of property transactions, you want to ensure that you engage the most competent conveyancers you can find.

“The standard of work and quicker turnaround times makes all the difference, and thanks to our level of expertise, commitment to highest levels of service and strong network within the industry, we are able to offer utmost professionalism and efficiency,” the firm added.

A firm for all

Firm manager Anthea van der Merwe said VDMGA Inc has always been wholly committed to advancing the rights of all their clients, regardless of wealth, social standing or background.

“Everything about VDMGA Inc stands for the upliftment and advancement of the people around us. Whether that is through investing in the new generation of legal professionals, empowering those from previously disadvantaged backgrounds or offering the highest levels of professionalism to all clients regardless of the economic standing, we are here to add value to the lives of all Namibians,” she explained.

“The company has been complying with the requirements of Affirmative Action legislation and its vision and objective is to empower its previous disadvantaged employees through skills development and information awareness. This in addition to creating equal employment opportunities in the firm, redressing the position of disadvantaged groups in the company, creating procedures and structures to avoid future unfair discrimination and advancing those who were prejudiced due to imbalances in social, economic and/or educational processes that allowed discrimination in the past.

“The company is fully committed to remain a proudly Namibian company for many, many years to come and to commit itself to the people and corporate establishments in Namibia in order to provide them with a comprehensive legal service in a professional and ethical manner, which will not be compromised by anything whatsoever,” she added.

If you’d like to engage the top light services and expertise of the VDMGA Inc team, contact them at 061 225 497 or send an email to [email protected].