Victoria Koning

Victoria Koning (néé Pitwood) was born in Cape Town on the 1st of March 1969 and knows South Africa pretty well, having lived in far away places like Tzaneen, Knysna and Henley-on-Klip. Along with her four siblings, Vic learned to travel light and adapt to change. Having just moved out of house #58, does a tent count as #59? No guesses as to why they’re renovating a bus to live in!

Victoria loved her secondary school in East London, Clarendon High School for Girls (’82-’86). Determined to forge a successful career, she left home at the tender age of 17 and within 2 weeks of moving to Johannesburg, she found a job as a receptionist. Over the years she delved deeply into computers, and became the IT manager for Oracle Corporation in Midrand, where she was awarded “Achiever of the Year” and her fave “Most Positive Attitude”.

Then love and the adventure bug struck! Getting together with Marcel, they decided to try out different ways of living.

Life in The Netherlands

Vic and Marcel moved to the “Lowlands” and started their business partnership, MarVic VOF in 2002. Vic learned to speak Dutch and how to navigate the seemingly-gazillion business rules. Marcel and Vic became an excellent team installing laminate flooring in peoples’ homes; their record was 120m² in one day! 

The rest of her time, Vic learned about photography, website design, online marketing and SEO; even helping a variety of small businesses with their online presence.

A childhood dream was realised when they bought ‘Muddy Boots’ a Land Rover 90 who took them on the wildest adventures across Europe, including Portugal, Croatia and Poland.

Life in Provence

In December 2013, Marcel and Victoria grabbed an opportunity to experience Provençal life at its “worst” in winter, to look after their aunty’s old farmhouse in Cotignac for 4 months. Three months later, they returned to Holland. For a week, to pack up and move South. She was gutted when they weren’t able to import their beloved Landy and cried all the way back to Holland to sell it. The pain eased when ‘Dakota’, an incredibly well travelled 110, joined them. Their favourite thing is going camping and on road trips – see their current EU Road Trip.

With her penchant for moving, instead of buying a little cabanon in the forests, they decided on something more mobile to live in. Enter ‘Pepe’ a 1985 Iveco Unic camper that used to transport 20 troopies (military). Their labour of love is renovating this into a “mobile beach shack”.

With their smorgasbord of skills, VIc & Marcel have been working with various homeowners and businesses locally, engaging with customers, working online and being guardians of other people’s properties.

Vic is still working with Maison Mirabeau, as a digital consultant having been the Customer Experience Manager for many years with a myriad of responsibilities like helping with online marketing and design, liaising with bridal couples and wedding planners, organising events like Taste of London, etc. – see our Journal ‘Arriving with a Paintbrush‘.

While creating an online course to help Self-Employed Entrepreneurs with their digital presence, the vision got bigger. Much bigger. She hatched a plan to create an online platform for networking, exchanging skills and knowledge, and helping each other grow – keep an eye out on the NetNomads Community (and please contribute if you can).

She loves photography, the psychology behind marketing, wellness and self care, and is passionate about helping people realise their dream. “It’s a wonderfully creative energy!”

View Victoria Koning's profile on LinkedIn