A Club lunch at Kelvin Grove
Background
The word PROBUS is an abbreviation of PROfessional and BUSiness, though membership is not restricted to these groups. The Probus Club movement originated in the UK in 1965 and was created by members of Rotary. Since then it has spread worldwide.
Their basic purpose is to provide regular gatherings of retired or semi-retired, people who value the opportunity to meet others with similar interests. There are men’s, women’s and mixed Probus Clubs. The first Probus Club in South Africa was established in 1977 in Durban. There are currently 27 Clubs in the Western Cape with a combined membership of over 1000 Probians. Probus Groote Schuur has the largest membership in the region with nearly 100 members as at November 2025.
See the History page for an interesting account of when and who formed the Club.
Probus Southern Africa is the overall umbrella body in South Africa. There are around 80 Clubs in South Africa. For more information see https://www.probusza.co.za/.
Probus Southern Africa is in turn part of Probus Global. There are around 4 500 Clubs worldwide with 300 000 members. See their website for more information.
=======================================
See the Committee page for the current Committee of the Club and for information if you are interested in becoming a member.
See the Website Editors page for information about the editors and how to contact them.
Activities of the Club include:
Monthly lunch get-togethers with a speaker
There have been over 250 talks since the club was founded
Recent and past Newsletters
Monthly outings to places of interest
Interest groups that meet regularly such as walking groups. Join the Community to find out more
Newsletters on topics of interest (called rettelsweN!). These are an astonishing record of some of the activities and achievements by Club members and are well worth reading
Group travel opportunities from a few days to 10 days (Probus Adventures)
Opportunities for members to 'connect' on topics of mutual interest through a WhatsApp Community
Interacting with other Probus Clubs e.g. the Probus Qui
The emphasis in the Club is:
to be simple in structure and free from the constraints and obligations of service clubs
to involve members in minimal cost
primarily directed towards providing Fellowship and the opportunity for development of acquaintance
to seek members who are compatible with one another and promote opportunities to connect
Although Probus had its roots in Rotary, it is not a project-based, fund-raising association. The emphasis is on networking, having fun, relaxation, and stimulation. If you feel the need of friendly company, then Probus is for you!
Participating in a Probus interclub Quiz...
... and winning!