It was September 1980, six months into Francois van Niekerk’s first entrepreneurial venture, a small IT business he started after 17 years in corporate. By then, the company was already on the brink of collapse. Desperate and out of options, Francois turned to God and prayed for a miracle. In that moment of surrender, he made a heartfelt vow: if God would rescue his business, Francois would dedicate it to advancing His kingdom.
That very day, a lifeline was thrown - and the business was saved. In response, Francois honoured his vow by establishing the Mergon Foundation, committing 30% of all future profits to the kingdom.
In the decades that followed, businesses were built and nurtured, enabling their proceeds to fund a growing number of ministries in South Africa. The Foundation's shareholding was steadily increased from 30% to 70%, and by 2008, a significant turning point occurred when Francois handed over the reins to a new generation of leaders. Under their stewardship, Mergon's portfolio of businesses grew, allowing the Foundation to support more ministries across Africa and the Middle East. This also deepened our understanding of partnership - not just as financial support, but as a commitment to walk together, build trust, and foster lasting change.
Among them were Ziwani - a community that equips Christian business leaders to live out their faith in business - and FiftyFour, which supports ministries in building healthy organisations.
Four decades on, Mergon continues to explore opportunities for meaningful collaboration and contribution – seeking to learn, serve and partner well for the sake of lasting impact in Africa.
Our founder today
After transferring leadership of Mergon to a new CEO and management team, Francois established CarmiTrust as his family foundation, focused on advancing mother-tongue education and nutritional support in underserved South African communities. Today, Francois remains as committed as ever to the calling that first set Mergon in motion.
The remarkable story of how it all began is captured in Doing Business with Purpose - an extraordinary account of one man's faith and obedience. It is a powerful testament to what becomes possible when choosing to take God at His word.
Now in its expanded 5th edition, this deeply personal book shares Francois's hard-won lessons from decades of building successful companies and offers invaluable insights into how faith can transform the way we lead, work, and build for lasting impact.
Discover the full story behind Mergon’s redemptive journey.
