Gerrit was born in April 1963 and was educated in South Africa, graduating with a bachelor of commerce degree in Accounting at the University of Stellenbosch in 1985. He completed his national service, trained with Pricewaterhouse Coopers qualifying as a chartered accountant in 1993 prior to establishing his own business which was subsequently sold into the Exceed Group.

Gerrit and his family moved to the UK in 1999 where he worked for Feltons chartered accountants before establishing the Exceed UK office in March 2002. Gerrit is a director and a shareholder in the UK Company. He returned to Cape Town where he is an audit partner and executive director of the Exceed Group SA.

Gerrit is married to Louise who is a change management consultant. Together, they have two children, Helen and Lize. Interests include diving and spear fishing, enjoying the ocean and outdoor life.