About Us

You can find the office building of Formalito on the corner of Amcor street and Pretorius lane in Lyttelton Manor (situated in Centurion). From these offices an extremely successful and well oiled enterprise are being operated by Sarel Engelbrecht (Managing Director), his daughter Christa Marincowitz (director), Johannes Coertze (director) and the rest of the team, Francois de Villiers, Meyer van Niekerk, Barbara Kotze, Conrad Stander, Nico Bothma, Peet Herbst, Liam Price, Simon Ndobe en Josef Mgidi.

After six years in the military service, Mr. Engelbrecht took over the reigns in 1966 of the existing enterprise, Hoofstad Suits & Clothing, previously known as Eldorado Outfitters. The company was owned and operated from the second floor in the Trysa building in Pretoria by Mr.Engelbrecht’s father and the late Roelf Venter. The first trading of weapons and ammunition commenced in 1967 from the newly opened store in Du Toit street, Pretoria. This started out to be a bobby, but ended up as a thriving business.

Soon the impetuosity of this shop resulted into the expansion to shops in Andries street (1978) and Menlyn Centre (1979). Wholesale trade in weapons and ammunition was operated from the store in Andries street. The import trade and distribution to retailers increased rapidly and the need for a bigger premises arose, after which the building in Struben street was purchased.

Meanwhile the name of the retail side of the business was changed to Live & Work and sold off to independent owners.

The wholesale department further expanded and moved to Lyttelton Manor in 1998 after the purchase of the existing premises. This venture is well known today as Formalito.