2011: A practice built for clean handover planning
Pass It On Create was founded in Stellenbosch in 2011 by Lukhanyo van der Merwe with a simple idea: wealth should not only be built well, it should also be handed on well. At the time, many families were getting advice that focused on products first and the people behind the money second. The early work was different. It centred on estate planning, will coordination and honest conversations about what would happen if a founder, parent or spouse was no longer there to guide the family.
From the first year, the firm worked with entrepreneurs, farm families and long standing households who wanted calm, plain language guidance. Clients came to the table with business interests, property, retirement savings and family expectations that did not always line up neatly. The job was to help make those pieces speak to each other, so assets could move in a sensible order and with less stress for the next generation.
2012 to 2014: Early structures, early lessons
In the next few years, the firm deepened its work in trust structuring and beneficiary reviews. These years shaped the way the practice thinks today. It became clear that a trust is not a box to tick, but a working structure that needs proper rules, named responsibilities and regular review. Families also needed help understanding how liquidity, tax timing and family decision making could affect an estate at the exact moment it mattered most.
During this period the team started building a more complete process around legacy planning. That included asset mapping, family meetings and succession facilitation, especially for owners of closely held businesses. The aim was never to force a single answer. It was to help each family find a structure that matched its people, its assets and its long term plans, even when those plans changed over time.
- Wills were reviewed alongside business interests and family obligations
- Trust deeds and trustee duties were discussed in practical terms
- Families began to use short legacy workshops to prepare for harder conversations
2015 to 2018: Broader advisory work and stronger planning depth
As the client base grew, so did the range of planning questions. By 2015, the firm was not only helping with estates, but also with retirement income planning for business owners moving out of active management. That meant looking at drawdown needs, household cash flow and the timing of asset transfers, all while keeping the family picture in view. A successful exit is not only a business issue, it is a household issue too.
In these years, the team also worked more closely with clients in Cape Town, Paarl and the wider Winelands, while keeping support available for Johannesburg, Durban and online consultations nationwide. As clients became more geographically spread, the need for clear records and structured reviews became stronger. The practice refined its plan reviews, beneficiary checks and family briefing sessions so that clients could revisit decisions when life changed, which it always does.
- Retirement income planning became a core service for owners nearing transition
- Plan reviews were scheduled around life events, not just calendar dates
- Family meetings helped reduce confusion before formal decisions were made
2019 to 2021: Succession conversations became more practical
By 2019, more clients were asking not only how to preserve wealth, but how to pass on responsibility. That shift brought a stronger focus on succession conversations. For some families, the challenge was readiness. For others, it was fairness between children, continuity in the business or making sure one person did not carry too much alone. These discussions needed patience, structure and a steady hand.
The firm responded by sharpening its succession facilitation process and trustee briefings. Advisers spent more time helping families understand the difference between ownership, control and benefit. This was also the period when beneficiary reviews became especially important, because many families had old records that no longer reflected the real picture. A review that takes one afternoon can prevent months of confusion later on.
Even during load-shedding, working across different towns and time zones, the practice kept its consultation rhythm. Video meetings became a useful option for clients who could not always travel to Stellenbosch, especially business owners with full diaries or families split between cities.
2022 to 2024: A fuller legacy service for modern families
In the more recent years, Pass It On Create has become known for a fuller legacy planning service that brings estate planning, trust structuring, will coordination and retirement income planning into one conversation. This matters because modern families often hold assets in different forms, with blended households, business interests and cross generational responsibilities all sitting side by side. A narrow plan can miss too much.
The team expanded into a clearer advisory structure, with Anika Fourie leading estate planning, Sibusiso Dlamini focusing on wealth advice, Megan Naidoo on trust structures, Ruan le Roux on retirement income and Zanele Mokoena guiding client service. That mix has helped the firm keep advice practical and consistent, while still allowing each client to work with the right specialist for the job.
- Legacy workshops were introduced for families wanting guided group discussions
- Asset mapping became part of the first planning stage for many new clients
- Plan reviews were used to keep estates aligned with changing laws and family events
Today: still based in Stellenbosch, still focused on the next generation
Today, Pass It On Create serves clients from Stellenbosch, Cape Town, Paarl, Johannesburg, Durban, Somerset West and Claremont, with online advice available nationwide. The base remains in Stellenbosch, but the work stretches across South Africa because the same questions come up everywhere: how do we protect what has been built, how do we treat family fairly and how do we hand over control without losing clarity?
The answer is still the same as it was in 2011. Start with the family, then shape the structure around the people. That means careful will coordination, clean trust design, practical liquidity analysis and regular conversations that keep the plan alive. For business owners and multi-generational households, that kind of support is not flashy, but it is what helps wealth move with purpose instead of noise.
From the first year of trading to today, the story of Pass It On Create has been one of steady growth, careful listening and long term thinking. The firm did not set out to be loud. It set out to be useful, and that remains the point.