He was one of the biggest contributors to the Jewish community in the country.  He was also well-known for his generosity to all sectors of the community from Cape Town, through the Orange Free State to the Transvaal.  An English journalist referred to him early in the 20th century as: "One of the most remarkable men in South Africa". His biography by Richard Mendelsohn of the University of Cape Town is aptly named: "The Uncrowned King of the Transvaal".

The synagogue in Pretoria was built in 1898. Marks donated all the bricks needed and also paid for the electric light installation and chandeliers.

  Sinagogue

The Sammy Marks Fountain

 After the Anglo-Boer War Marks donated a cast-iron fountain to the city of Pretoria. Ordered from Glasgow in Scotland, very Edwardian in design, it was shipped in sections to Pretoria and can today be viewed at the Zoological Gardens in Pretoria.

The Kruger Statue
The Kruger Statue on Church Square in Pretoria  was commissioned by Marks, sculptured by Anton van Wouw and cast in bronze in Europe. It was a gift to Pretoria from Sammy Marks. He paid ten thousand pounds sterling for its erection.

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Last modified: October, 2003