An 84-year-old woman works late into the night: her goal is to remain active until she turns 100
Story of an accountant who dedicates her time to a charity in South Africa.
Jane Way, an 84-year-old accountant, works 30 hours a week for a South Africa–based charity that cares for orphans. Her workday starts at 11 p.m. and ends at 8 a.m., a schedule dictated by the time difference.
Speaking to Business Insider, she said: “I’m someone who thrives through work.” She began working at a very young age – just seven – helping out in her parents’ restaurant, before later earning a degree in accounting.
She went on to become the first woman at her university to recruit students for major auditing firms. Over the course of 46 years, she held several senior management roles, including serving as chief financial officer at an international company.
After her husband died in 1987, she took over his import business. According to Business Insider, she tried to retire several times, but each attempt ultimately led her back to work.
Despite physical limitations – she has been using a wheelchair for the past five years – she remains active and deeply committed to her job. “I intend to be here for my 100th birthday to celebrate,” she said, adding that she hopes to still be working then.
Thanks to the savings she accumulated over decades of work, she has paid for her grandchildren’s education. She has also said she plans to donate money to the charity she currently works for.
A complicated retirement
The broader picture in the United States is far more challenging. A 2024 study by the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) found that 20% of people over 50 have no retirement savings at all.
That is compounded by findings from the US Government Accountability Office, which report that 32% of households with workers over 55 have neither savings nor pension plans.
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