"Breda is both a vibrant and a calm city."

Name: Breda Business
Telephone: +31 (0)6 11 71 63 81

AVEVA Select Benelux

What does Cape Town have in common with the West Brabant region? According to Morne Greeff, a South African transplant to Breda, the common denominator is easy access to nature, both within and outside the city limits.

Morne Greeff Marketing Manager AVEVA Select Benelux

What does Cape Town have in common with the West Brabant region? This is not a trick question, by the way. According to Morne Greeff, a South African transplant to Breda, the common denominator is easy access to nature, both within and outside the city limits.

Morne and his family have been living here since early 2019, so they’ve had plenty of time to explore this part of the Netherlands. What they like about Breda is that it’s a vibrant city with easy access to everything you need, but without being a concrete jungle.

Hi, Morne. Can you tell us about yourself and how you ended up living in the Netherlands?

Sure. My family and I relocated to Breda in 2019 to work for AVEVA Select Benelux. Both my wife and I work here. I’m a Marketing Manager for the Benelux and Scandinavia regions.

Why does a multinational company such as AVEVA choose to be located in Breda?

The company has been in Breda for over 25 years. It started in Belgium and moved to Breda because it was the closest large city next to Belgium. It made a lot of sense to be in a big city close to the border. Our office is now the distributor of the AVEVA industrial software in the Benelux and Scandinavia regions.

Our software helps our clients optimize the design and operation of their plants. We serve clients in the food and beverage industries, manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, water and wastewater.

The advantage of being based in Breda is that we’re very centrally located in the Benelux region and it’s very easy to get everywhere in the countries we serve. Our location also plays a role in attracting international people who bring their experience from different industries and regions into our software.

What do you like most about living in Breda?

Coming from Cape Town, which is a city with beautiful nature, living in Breda feels just as nature-oriented. There’s greenery and nature all around us.

If you don’t want to get stuck in the city, it’s very easy to hop on your bike and soon you’re in farmland. So there’s a nice contrast to the city itself which I really like. It’s not just a concrete jungle. It’s this beautiful, vibrant, green and open city.

How are your kids adapting to a new culture?

My kids are adapting really well in Breda. They cycle to the local Dutch school which is very close to our house. I now have three Dutch-speaking children. They love going to their friends’ house after school to play. This helps us too because we get to meet a lot of the parents in our community through our kids.

What do you and the family like to do on a day off in the area?

There’s a beautiful lake in our area called Asterdplas. We like taking the children there to swim or play because it feels like you’re outside of the city, but you’re still close to home. We also enjoy the many different types of international cuisines at the Foodhall Breda.

In your opinion, what does Breda have to offer internationals?

Breda is not as big as some of the other major cities, but it’s definitely not small either in terms of what you can do and what you have access to. Not just within the city, but within the region as well. It’s not as crowded as other large cities. There’s a lot of space still available in the city for people to live a good life. We also met a lot of supportive and positive people in Breda.

When people visit you in Breda, where do you take them?

We definitely take everyone to the city center. It has one of the most beautiful churches in the Netherlands in a really quaint and cozy location. The atmosphere is buzzing and vibrant but it also has a calmness to it, which is quite refreshing. Something is always happening and there are plenty of things to see.