His paternal ancestors had been in South Africa since 1713, when Jacob Krüger, from Berlin, arrived in Cape Town as a 17-year-old soldier in the Dutch East India Company's service.
Keturunan pihak ayahnya telah ada di Afrika Selatan sejak 1713, ketika Jacob Krüger, dari Berlin, datang ke Cape Town sebagai prajurit berusia 17tahun di pelayanan Perusahaan Hindia Timur Belanda.