Welcome to YEI (and the faces behind it)

A new year feels like the perfect time to say hello properly.

You’ve Earned It (YEI) is a digital and community platform created especially for South Africans aged 55+. Since 2008, we have been connecting our community with brands, ideas, articles, resources and offers that genuinely make life easier, richer and more enjoyable.

At the heart of YEI is a 55+ community

This is a place to connect, learn, ask questions, check out resources, share experiences, find support, have some fun and feel like you belong. Because you do. No jargon. No nonsense. Just real value, real people and real conversations.

YEI’s purpose

Our purpose is simple. We add value to your everyday life by helping you to:

• Live well and enjoy it
  Through practical, relevant content about health, wellbeing, relationships, purpose and everyday living.
• Spend smarter and save where it counts
  By sharing trusted offers, honest articles and useful advice that respect your budget and your choices.
• Feel respected and seen
  With content that speaks to you as an individual, not a stereotype, and reflects real life after 55.
• Make better, more confident decisions
  Through clear, easy-to-understand articles, insights and information you can actually use.

Everything you read, watch or engage with on YEI is chosen because it is relevant to this stage of life.  Whether it is learning something new, staying informed, or discovering products, services and experiences that genuinely make a difference.

You come first. Always have. Always will.

YEI will continue to add real value to people over 55, without ever losing their trust.

Meet the team behind YEI

Sonya and Marilyn are the driving force behind YEI, and have evolved the platform into the digital powerhouse it is today,

Marilyn didn’t just start YEI in 2008. She planted a seed that grew into a lifestyle. Today, YEI is woven directly into her DNA.  To say she is passionate about YEI is an understatement, as she lives it, breathes it and probably dreams about it too!  From the very first page of the YEI book to the thriving online platform and community we see today, her passion has never wavered.  We might talk about retirement (and un-retirement) all day at YEI, but Marilyn is proof that when you love what you do, you never really stop.

That said, even Marilyn knows when it is time to log off. Her happy place is the bush, where the Wi-Fi is weak but the perspective is strong. She absolutely loves good times with great friends.  However those special moments shared with her wonderfully patient husband, her family and the three “grand-treasures” (who officially run the show) are so, so precious.

For Marilyn, a life well-lived means pouring her heart into YEI while staying deeply connected to her roots. She is driven by the impact of her work, yet she is most at home when she is surrounded by the family and friends who know her best.

Sonya, Co-Owner of YEI, is YEI’s big-picture thinker, always looking ahead and asking what is next, while making sure YEI keeps moving forward. Originally from South Africa and now based in the Netherlands, she likes to say she has one foot in Europe and her heart firmly at home. She is passionate about changing the way we think about ageing and firmly believes that life does not suddenly slow down after 55, unless you want it to. When she is not shaping strategy or challenging outdated assumptions, you will find Sonya spending time with family, staying active, enjoying the outdoors or having refreshingly honest conversations about health, purpose and living well.

For Sonya, a good life is about staying curious, staying connected and making the most of every stage.

Marilyn and Sonya are supported by not only an amazing community, who make everything worthwhile, but two brilliant minds – a Social Media Strategist and a Web Developer.

Thank you to the 55+ YEI community

Thank you for being part of the YEI community and for trusting us with your time and attention. Everything we are building in 2026 is designed to add meaningful value to your life, respect your choices and earn your trust every single day.

Feel free to make contact with us on info@youve-earned-it.co.za

A YEI article