By Jaime Uranovsky
Di Berrill, singer, actress, businesswoman, philanthropist and a previous mayoress of Cape Town, celebrated her 100th birthday in May.
Di’s full and fascinating life in South Africa began when she and her family moved to Paarl from Russia in 1924. At the time, Di was six and spoke only Russian.
After studying singing at the UCT College of Music, Di dreamed of going to Hollywood “I was going to be an actress, so I was going to move to Hollywood… I was ready to get on a plane right then but the day I went to buy my plane ticket, war broke out and nobody travelled then.” This did not stop Di from becoming a local singer and actress under her stage name, Dianna Lazar. She acted in many stage productions, often for charity, and had a radio programme titled Dianna Lazar Presents on which she sang in Yiddish, English, Afrikaans, German and Russian.
After enjoying a stage career for many years, Di began designing clothes and, together with her husband Issey, started Riviera Fashions, which became one of the bigger clothing companies in South Africa. During this time, Di travelled extensively, picking up new designs and fabrics. She recounts, “I travelled the world by myself, which was very scary to begin with. I was still young.” She was also featured in the Cape Argus as one of its winners of ‘Businesswomen of the Week’. She says, “To keep yourself happy, I would advise that you not sit there like a queen. I was always involved with the staff. Then they’re part of the picture.”
It was after retiring that Di was approached to become the mayoress of Cape Town.
During her term as Mayoress of Cape Town, Di made personal visits to the homes of many South Africans, particularly those living in poverty. Her fundraising efforts were very successful resulting in a large amount being raised. Di says, “Being mayoress made me feel very responsible.” Her term also coincided with Nelson Mandela’s release; indeed, Di had the honour of standing on the balcony of City Hall alongside him as he addressed thousands on the Grand Parade below. Di reminisces, “He inspired me to do the best we can for the country.”
Di has also been highly involved in community societies such as Club 100, International Women’s Club, Community Chest and Soroptimist International. Additionally, she was on the board of directors for Somerset Hospital and was instrumental in saving the institution from being demolished in 1992. Regarding social responsibility, Di noted, “Whether it’s a Jewish nation or a South African nation, we have to believe in ourselves and be strong. ‘Yes, I can. Yes, I will. Yes, I do’ is my philosophy. Those are my words. There’s nothing you can’t do if you make up your mind to do it. That’s a very important part of one’s daily life if you are interested in what is good for the nation and for the self because you’re responsible for what you do.”
When asked how she feels about turning 100, Di said, “It doesn’t bother me. It’s just part of living. I’ve got two wonderful sons and I’m very blessed. My life has been a very interesting experience.”
To read the June issue of the Chronicle online, click here
To read about Martin Margolius’ leap off Signal Hill, click here
To read about singing sensation Josh Abrams, click here
To find out more about the Winter Warmer Campaign, click here
