The History of the Purmasir Family - South Africa

Mr. & Mrs. B. Purmasir

     Sukhdev Sharma Purmasir (1908 -1991) was the eldest child of businessman Blackie Purmasir who immigrated to South Africa from Mauritius in 1889. The family had its early roots in Mauritius and Uttar Pradesh in India. His mother Dhanmanta Purmasir was the daughter of a Vedic Priest Pandit Behari Maharaj and they had thirteen children.

 Blackie Purmasir was the first South African of Indian origin to establish himself as a soft drink and sweet manufacturer. He was also a member of the Natal Indian Congress; member of Indian Hospital Advisory Board;  chairman of Liberty Building Society; President of Arya Prathinidhi Sabha of S.A. Donated class-room at M. L. Sultan Technical College; Member of Durban International Club; Shareholder of the Arya Sahitya Mundal, Ltd., Ajmer, Rajastan, India and Trustee of Gandhi-Tagore Lectureship Trust. He died at the age of ninety three on the 4th August, 1970

Sukhdev Sharma Purmasir

He graduated from Natal Technical College.  He became a partner and managing director in his fathers' business – Durban Electric Mineral Water Works (Pty) Ltd. situated in 17-19 May Street, Greyville, Durban. In 1935 he married Gouri Maharaj, They had nine children. His interest was Music, Tennis and Travel.

  

He and his younger brother Lakhraj took over the reigns from their father at an earIy age. In 1928 the South African Sweets Manufacturing Company (Pty) Ltd was established. Lakhraj was the managing director of the sweet company situated at 503-507 Umgeni Road Greyville Durban.   In 1955 Durban Electric Mineral Water Works began trading as Icy Favorite Bottling Company with the expansion of  a newly, modern architectural building at 21-31 Mays Street, Durban, where they housed both the manufacturing plants under one roof.   

21-31 May  Street, Durban, South Africa.

In addition to these industrial activities, the family interests grew successfully to great heights due to his attentive management.  Sukhdeva became the right hand man and key person to his father at an early age and and together they turned it into a mighty business empire. Subsidiary companies were Mahajan Properties, Sharma &Co Real Estate Agents, Property Developments, Imports and Exports, Wholesaling, Retailing and Industrial Warehousing.  His high proficiency in business administration served him as Director and Chairman of the Board of Companies and was an active and influential member of numerous committees, societies, commissions, institutes, organizations and associations.   

Sukhdev followed closely in his fathers footsteps. He volunteered his leisure time to cultural activities; was the treasurer for twenty five years at The Hindi Shiksha Sangh (S.A.);  He was also a member of the International University Society. In memory of his parents he was one of the pillar donors to finance the completion of the Vedic Temple building in Carlisle Street, Durban, South Africa, which was official opened by him in  5th October 1975. 

Sukhdev and  Gouri with the late  Indian Prime Minister Pt. Nehru.

During his visit to India in 1964, he and his wife Gouri attended the graduation of their eldest daughter Maha at the Visva Bharati University in Santiniketan, West Bengal. He met The Prime Minister of India the late Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru on two occasions. The first was at the graduation ceremony where Nehru was the Chancellor of the University at the time. His second meeting was an invitation to Nehru’s Official Home in New Delhi. Shortly after the same year in November Pt. Nehru had passed.   

His wife Gouri passed away in 1966.Ge togeth

In December 1972 Sukhdev was kidnapped by a German extortion syndicate together with  South African locals operating in South Africa targeting prominent and financially successful Indian business families. His circumspection and vigilant judgment saved his family businesses from total loss. He escaped the horrendous experience and left the country for a few months.  In his dangerous situation his courageous wisdom incited him to instruct his attorneys to apply for a High Court Interdict and pursued legal proceedings against the extortion syndicate. This incident and action alerted the law to investigate such criminal behaviour in South Africa. The Justice Department had noticed that  at the time of going to trial the members of the syndicate had skipped the country.

   At no time did Sukhdev suspect a conspiracy brewing to oust him and his brother Lakhraj out of the business by their younger siblings, most of whom were a generation gap in age and played no significant role in building the business. In 1978, Sukhdev and Lakhraj were forced out of office  by these siblings. Thereafter, materialistic gluttony, irregularities and mismanagement brought an end in March 1978...what was once a highly industrial and respected family business. The shock to see it all fritter away brought about the death of Lakhraj due to cardiac failure a month later in April the same year. Sukhdev lived on to the age of 84 and died in  1991.                                                                                                                                         

  Going back to 1935 - A small article in the local news paper caught Sukhdev's eye . It read:- A expansion programme in the Durban Harbour has been approved by the South African Railway and Harbour to accommodate the influx of luxury cruise liners docking into the port.  

Both Father and Son sealed what was to become a further contribution to their success story...the manufacturing of Soda Water and Ginger Ale . Officers and passengers on board these cruise liners preferred drinking their whisky with Soda Water or Ginger Ale. Sukhdev also discovered that there was a demand for Ginger Beer and POP I Ginger Beer was born, a  non-alcoholic beverage. With contracts signed and secured with the Shipping Chandlers, these became popular both on  British Cruise Liners and locally.   



Other Products manufactured besides confectionery were OK Minerals, Besto Iced Lollies, Cordials and Prem Orange Squash.   









 The younger generation have gone into various professions. It is also worth noting... Dee Sharma Roopanand a professional musician who created The Dukes Combo in 1958, who made a great contribution in the music world throughout the decades - was the son of Sukhdev’s sister Prodhan Purmasir Roopanand

Children of Sukhdev and Gouri Sharma Purmasir

Maha Sharma Purmasir  Masters degree in Music  Mumbai, India. Mano Sharma Purmasir  Accountant  Two children  Founded Freight Plus Worldwide in Toronto, Canada. He has business interest in both North America and Africa. Maya Rambaran   Business person  Five  children  California, USA.  Shobha Dayal  Married to Yatindra Kumar Dayal – Academic  Grandson of Swami Bhawani Dayal  Four children Auckland, New Zealand. Jyoti Jugoo  Fashion Designer  Married to Jagdeesh Jugoo - Business person   Three children Johannesburg, South Africa Gita  Purmasir  Fashion Designer/Artist and Business person Married  to Madhava Consultant Engineering  Two children  Johannesburg, South  Africa - Founder and CEO of Interfashion -South Africa and Zia Projects- S.A. Vivek Sharma (late) Married to Meena Kashyap Two children  New York, USA