Cut down on meat and eat lots of veggies if you want to live longer.
This advice comes from two siblings and their brother-in-law, who, collectively, have lived for 313 years.
Ben Mabuza, the eldest of the three at 112, has lived through more than a century of hardship and resilience, and has outlived his wife and most of his 15 children. Only his middle daughter, now 70, is still alive. He attributes his longevity to a disciplined lifestyle and a vegetable-rich diet.
“I enjoyed pap with milk, and pap with green vegetables like spinach,” Mabuza said, sitting outside his home in Carolina, Mpumalanga. “I never liked meat much, growing up. We only ate it in December, but I don’t touch it any more, and I don’t even remember the last time I ate it. I believe my long life comes from eating greens, spinach, and pap.”
Mabuza’s working life began in childhood. One of his longest jobs was at an army camp in Pretoria, where he spent 25 years in various roles and learnt to drive. But his driving career ended abruptly after a collision with a herd of cows. “They told me never to drive a truck again, and they took my license away,” he recalled.
Among the hardships, there were extraordinary encounters. Mabuza fondly remembers working for Nelson Mandela back when the South African Struggle icon was still practicing as a lawyer. He said the young Mandela would call on him from Joburg to alert him when he was coming to the Carolina magistrate’s court for a case. His job was to carry Mandela’s heavy briefcases to court and look after his car.
“He would pay me five pounds, which was a lot of money at that time,” Mabuza said.
After retiring from his job at a Nestlé factory, Ben started enjoying the simple pleasures of tending his garden, milking cows, and visiting friends.
His younger brother, Johannes, turned 100 on Friday last week and celebrated with his family at his home in Daveyton, Ekurhuleni. A proud patriarch, he has five children and though he lost his wife in 1995 and later his second child, he built a lasting legacy in the taxi industry.
For more than 30 years, he was among the pioneers of taxi transport in Daveyton, Johannesburg, and Wadeville, and opened the first local rank in Carolina. He started as a taxi driver in 1965 and retired as a taxi owner in 2000.
“I used to wear a shirt and tie when I was a taxi driver. I respected my clients,” he recalled while contrasting his discipline with that of today’s taxi drivers, who he said lack appreciation of their customers.
After retirement, Johannes found joy in long walks, sometimes travelling up to 5km to visit friends.
“I used to eat everything, but after retirement, I preferred pap, spinach, potatoes, and pumpkin. And I loved biscuits in the morning,” he chuckled.
The Mabuzas’ brother-in-law, Solomon Dladla, who is 101, outlived his wife and most of his family, with only three of his 10 children still alive.
“I still fix tractors, but because of my poor eyesight, I only work in the mornings, from 6am, and return after sunset because the sun hurts my eyes. Even now, I still own a tractor,” he said with pride.
Dladla’s working life was rooted in construction and painting, from building railways and working with steel to painting fighter planes at an army camp. He credits a sensible diet of green vegetables and hard work for his longevity.
Despite their different paths, the three centenarians agree that a long life comes from cutting down on meat, eating fresh vegetables, simplicity, respect, and purpose.
Ben is critical of the younger generation. “You can go out right now and look for people my age, but you will never find them. This generation is wasted. None of them will reach my age,” he said bluntly.
“See, I don’t drink [alcohol] or smoke. I stopped doing that long before I even retired because I saw how they would lead me to the grave early. Had I not stopped drinking, I wouldn’t be here. Today, fathers are drinking with their sons. The world has turned dark.”
For Ben, survival came from discipline, respect, and hard work – values he believes are fading in today’s society. "Our upbringing is what has kept me until this age.”
Plant-based diet – and genes – vital for longevity, says dietician
Ineke Janse van Rensburg, a registered dietician, believes food choices play a powerful role in shaping health and longevity, though genetics still carries significant weight.
Reflecting on centenarians, Ben Mabuza,112, his younger brother Johannes,100, and their brother-in-law, Solomon Dladla, 101, who credit their vegetarian diets for their long lives, Janse van Rensburg agrees diet contributes. But she but stresses genetics and lifestyle also play a critical role in reaching 100 and beyond.
“Yes, I would totally agree with that. That would definitely be more beneficial, having more vegetables and plant-based foods. I mean, you don't need meat, so you can have a sufficient diet without any meat.”
Janse van Rensburg says one of the key benefits of a vegetarian diet is the higher intake of fibre and plant-based foods. “This aligns with the new health guidelines, which encourage people to eat more plant-based foods,” she says.
Diets rich in vegetables, fruit, and pulses – which include lentils, chickpeas and beans – provide essential micronutrients and phytonutrients that support overall health. She adds that the key lies in balance: “If we only eat meat, we miss out on fiber and vital micronutrients. But if we lean heavily on plant-based foods, we can thrive without meat.”
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