When Aleit started his career, it was clear from the outset that he was destined to create spectacular moments and meaningful memories while also helping people to bring their dreams to life.

This wasn’t only true for the events he became known for, but also for the countless individuals and groups whose lives he touched through his generous spirit and his acts of kindness.

His flamboyant personality, his creative flair, and his enthusiastic dedication to the details, ensured that the name Aleit very quickly became synonymous with extravagantly bespoke occasions, while the ground-breaking creativity of many of his events became a tell-tale trademark.

In true Aleit style, he had the courage to take a leap of faith and position himself as South Africa’s first professional wedding and events coordinator and he quickly grew Aleit Weddings into South Africa’s leading wedding coordination company. As this business grew, Aleit soon realised that the events industry was in dire need of well-educated employees with practical skills. And so the seed was planted for The Aleit Academy.

He will always be remembered for being an innovator, an entrepreneur and a creative genius in the realm of work. His perfectionism, love for etiquette, constant desire for excellence and to ensure that every detail of an event is thought of and professional, is what we at The Aleit Academy like to call “The Aleit way.”

Here is what a few Aleit Academy graduates said about Aleit Swanepoel and the foundation he has created for each Aleit Academy student that has walked through the doors:

Letitia Riley (2012 Graduate)

1. List 3 words to describe Aleit Swanepoel. 

Empathy | Tenacity | Passion

2. What impact do you believe he had in the growth of the industry.

As much as Aleit impacted on the growth of the industry, I’d rather say he set the foundation for growth. He was a pioneer, and the industry followed.

3. What influence/impact has he had on your career/your life? 

Aleit inspired me to be better. I see little things that impact an event much clearer because of his guidance and the foundation he set.

4. What will you miss most about him? 

His laugh. It was a sudden burst of happiness that could be heard from very far away.

5. Do you have any funny stories you are willing to share with us?

I once had the privilege of offering my opinion on a new clothing item Aleit bought. It was a pair of underwear with padding in the back. He asked what I thought and I said “Nice Ass”. He responded by saying “Nou het ek finally boude!” and then we both laughed. It was a wholesome Aleit-moment. Still makes me smile.

Lauren Kelz (2016 graduate)

1. List 3 words to describe Aleit Swanepoel. 

Exuberant, Inventive, Passionate

2. What impact do you believe he had in the growth of the industry. 

Aleit pushed boundaries and this encouraged the events industry in South Africa to go through exponential change!

3. What influence/impact has he had on your career/your life? 

Aleit taught me to “toughen up” and to do everything with excellence.

4. What do you think our industry can thank him for? 

We have so much to thank him for – he taught our industry to dream bigger!

5. Name something you learnt from him during your time at The Aleit Academy. 

Excellence, excellence, excellence!

Carmen Mienie (2019 graduate)

1. List 3 words to describe Aleit Swanepoel. 

It is definitely a loyal, kind-hearted, friend with passion for life & people.

2. What impact do you believe he had in the growth of the industry. 

Aleit’s impact in the industry was and always will be bigger than we could even imagine. I remember when I started at The Aleit Academy, he said to us “as jy hier is om net ‘n lekker tyd te hê, kan jy nou maar huis toe gaan, hierdie is n industrie van bloed, sweet, trane en ook nuwe vriendskappe wat gevorm word”. He always had a smile on his face. An ability to create something out of nothing and a passion to make everyone always feel that they matter. His precision & tact for what is etiquette correct, was definitely contagious. I will forever be thankful for his impact, motivation & interest in my life.

3. What influence/impact has he had on your career/your life? 

Aleit & The Aleit Academy did ground breaking work in terms of casting and forming my career. I am grateful and honoured to have been a part of Aleit’s team. As said earlier, he had a way of doing things that no one could ever try to top. I am thankful for his knowledge,  know-how, tips, sometimes less important things we had to do or learn but now in my life I get to use those tools. Aleit thank you for always being YOU! Thank you for being a friend to us & always making time for each person you get to spend time with! I already cannot believe that you have been taken away from us here on earth, but I am forever thankful for the time I had to share with you!! Your legacy lives forward through each one of us!

4. Name something you learnt from him during your time at The Aleit Academy. 

Definitely his knowledge and his savoir faire with how he did things!! Not only in the industry but also with regards to his social life. He was definitely someone to look up to and also to be proud to share what you have learned from him!!

Chane Crocker – (2024 graduate)

1. Why do you think the Aleit name is so special to the events industry?

I did not have the privilege to get to know Aleit very well but did have the opportunity to meet him a few times and listen to a few of his talks. I think Aleit was such a compassionate person and extremely hardworking. He would and did go above and beyond for his clients. He put his personal touch on each of the events he worked on and he always exceeded his clients expectations. He also turned the event industry upside down with all the new possibilities he brought to the table when it comes to events. His events were all unique and one of a kind.

2. Name something you believe we can do to honour Aleit.

I believe we can honour him by carrying on his legacy in the event industry. By executing each event with him in the back of our minds and using all the knowledge we learned from him and from the events he has done in the past. We can only strive to make him proud in every event we do.

3. What does “The Aleit Way” mean to you?

The Aleit way to me means perfection down to every little detail, from the spacing of the cutlery to every flower in each bouquet. Everything needs to be precise and above standard.

Gabbi Lopes (2022 graduate)

1. Why do you think the Aleit name is so special to the events industry? 

Aleit worked so hard to be where is known as today but I believe in that saying the difference is that he pursued his passion above work for the industry . By doing what he loved and had most passion for was that at the end of the day it is what made him so unique and special to the industry.

2. Name something you believe we can do to honour Aleit. 

To never stop dreaming outside of the box and keep believing that uniqueness is power. Keep challenging yourself and make use of everything you have.  An idea could be to have an annual day at the academy where they celebrate Aleit –  where students get to be creative and create as a good team building day , calling it ‘A touch of Aleit’ which students draw inspiration from Aleit and make use of what they have and create beautiful table settings& décor. Where there after all of the students & lectures wine and dine together in pure Aleit fashion- A touch of Aleit.

3. What does “The Aleit Way” mean to you? 

I always think of how would Aleit would take on any given situations and here are some more of what “The Aleit Way” means to me: how to create beautiful and magical events that’s out of this world , a place where you know that you are capable of so many things, treating people with kindness and respect, where laughter is found , always having a good time , appreciating every moment, to shoot for the stars no matter if the stakes are high and to never give up.

Extra note: 

I will never forget Aleit  for the person he was , always truly an big inspiration to myself and so may out there. His outlook to life was always so positive and so up lighting. He made people laugh and enjoy what they. He made a treated people with the biggest respect and kindness and always stayed encouraging the people to never conform to the norm of life. He will never be forgotten and always be remembered for his hard work, creativity that out of this world, his uplifting smile and an awesome leader/mentor for the event industry.

Elizma Freeman (2015 Graduate)

1. List 3 words to describe Aleit Swanepoel. 

Passionate, kind-hearted, imaginative

2. What impact do you believe he had in the growth of the industry. 

He shaped so many students and creatives and inspired us to be the best version of ourselves. He knew how to consume a room and ensure to have an impact regardless.

3. What influence/impact has he had on your career/your life? 

He thought me a lot of patience, but also to embrace the imperfect and make it beautiful. Service with a smile even if the room is total chaos.

4. What will you miss most about him? 

His laugh and his love for white wine.

5. Name something you learnt from him during your time at The Aleit Academy. 

Never run, walk fast and never fold your arms in front of your chest always at the back you will come forward as more approachable. Try not to frown too much.

Leana Nienaber (2011 graduate)

1. List 3 words to describe Aleit Swanepoel.

Impulsive, motivational and outspoken

2. What impact do you believe he had in the growth of the industry.

I feel that he created a standard within the industry. Even though he pushed boundaries, there was still a clear standard to which aspiring individuals could strive towards.

3. What influence/impact has he had on your career/your life?

I was given responsibility and trusted, which in turn cultivated my own confidence.

4. Do you have any funny story of/with Aleit you would be open to sharing with us?

I can remember sitting in class busy with a full-blown serious lecture, and he would interrupt himself mid-sentence to give a compliment to someone, and then carry on with his lecture as if nothing happened. It was just generally funny as it would not be a ’normal’ compliment. He would say something like your skin looks good today.

5. Name one thing you think we can thank Aleit for.

He was a great inspiration, we can be thankful for the risks he took within the industry and teaching us to not only learn from his success, but also gain from his mistakes.

 

Conclusion

As we continue to celebrate the living legacy that Aleit left behind, we also honour his enduring spirit which lives on through his loved ones, his colleagues, the businesses he helped create, and every single person who encountered his caring sincerity, his kindness and his generosity.

It is no wonder that Aleit’s favourite quote was: “Kindness, quite simply is the rent you pay for the space you occupy on earth,” by Robin Sharma.