Possibly the first Sonnenberg in South Africa was Ikey Sonnenberg, who was an early mining pioneer, an inveterate gambler and apparently lovable character, who is written about fairly extensively in South African literature about those times.

Left Germany for America in 1849. Travelled all over and finally met his younger brother,Charlie,during the battle of Gettysburg. Travelled to the Cape in 1867 to look for diamonds.Charlie followed.