Getting To Know Jaco Prins, SFPO Beaches and Environment Representative

When did you move to St Francis Bay with your family?

We moved to St Francis Bay three and a half years ago after buying our home a few months prior. 

Who are the members of your family?

I am married to Janine, my beautiful, loving, sporty wife. We have two lively daughters, Jessica and Camilla, who are 14 and 11 years old. We also have two strange-looking rescue dogs that we adopted in Myanmar.

Where were you as a family, and what were you doing before that?

We are initially from PE, but before moving to St Francis Bay, we lived in Southeast Asia for 6 years, in Myanmar, the old Burma. It was a fantastic adventure with the family – incredible country and people. I worked remotely from St Francis for a few more years for Coca-Cola Myanmar. Janine does IT application consulting for Dimension Data, 

What made you decide on St Francis Bay?

We considered a few different smaller towns to settle back into while planning to return to South Africa, but the overall offering and lifestyle from St Francis could not be matched. 

What is the best thing about St Francis Bay? 

It is a great place to raise children because of its relaxed lifestyle. The village feel, the community, nature, and all the sporting options will keep you busy for years! 

Your SFPO portfolio is Beaches and Environment. What is your interest in these categories?

I love the ocean and nature, and we do as a family. Our lifestyle includes surfing, paddling, running, lifesaving, mountain biking, and riding horses. Therefore, it is a natural extension for me. We aim to work with all the other incredible groups around St Francis to protect and enhance what we have. We want restored, natural-looking beaches in St Francis with good facilities for the community to enjoy.

Any final words on looking after our beaches and environment for the residents of St Francis Bay?

On my daily walks and swims, I often see people picking up litter from the beaches; all these contributions help keep our environment clean and enjoyable. Continue to raise issues or ideas to enhance and protect our area. There are some great initiatives in different stages of planning; I am excited about the future of St Francis.