In the early years of her career (1983-1989), she initiated a music department for the Lady Grey High School, which later blossomed into the Lady Grey Arts Academy. She served on the staff of the Drakensberg Boys Choir School as accompanist to the music director, teacher of piano, composition and music theory from 1989 to 1997. She had the privilege of touring and performing extensively with this group in South Africa, and internationally to the USA, UK, Japan, Australia, Denmark, Norway, Finland, Sweden, Germany, Egypt, Kenya, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Swaziland and Botswana. She featured as the accompanist on the first Drakenberg Boys’ Zama Award album, Amazing Grace. Ronél recalls many highlights during her performing time with the Boys Choir; however, concerts that stood out were, Mount Rushmore with John Rutter as conductor; Salt Lake Tabernacle with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir; Disney World, Orlando; and on top of Drakensberg for Nelson Mandela. She was appointed as the national projects manager and festival director at the Choir School from 1997. In the same year she took office as marketing director until 2002, securing sponsorships and national collaboration projects, such as the Rand Merchant Bank’s Starlight Classics, Rina Hugo and the Bala Brothers. She initiated a marketing department for the Choir School and spearheaded national and international concert tours to Japan, Scandinavia, Turkey and Germany – all for financial gain.

In 2003 she opened the doors of two arts educational businesses in Ladybrand, Eastern Free State, South Africa – the Ladybird International Arts Academy, and a regional choral group, namely the Cantu Maluti Youth Choir. The vision was to provide choral singing, music, visual and dramatic arts education opportunities for rural students of the region and neighbouring Lesotho, who wish to excel in a highly competitive and rapidly changing arts industry. The Youth Choir toured both nationally and to Namibia in 2007, meeting up with the Kokopelli Choir (Canada), Moscato Youth Choir (Namibia) and the COTA Youth Choir (Namibia). The Choir featured twice on SABC2 festive season television programmes, performed for King Letsie III and Queen Masenate in Lesotho, at the McLachlan National Choral Conductors Workshop 2005, and in the historic Voortrekker Monument as guest choir at the St Peter’s choral festival in 2008 and recorded various albums.

Over the past twenty-one years, the arts business has received educators and learners from thirty countries around the world. During this time the Arts Academy hosted artists of national and international acclaim as part of community enrichment objectives. Artists welcomed, include the Odeion String Quartet 2006, 2007, 2015, violinist Jürgen Schwietering 2006, singer Jannie Moolman 2007, the Birmingham Youth Orchestra 2008, Bochabela Strings 2008, the Free State Symphony Orchestra 2008, 2009, pianist Ilse Schumann 2014, cellist Anmari van der Westhuizen 2014, 2018, pianist Albie van Schalkwyk 2018, pianist Nico de Villiers 2013, 2014, singer Jannie du Toit 2007, 2019, as well as variety of visiting performing groups from the University of the Free State. Choirs welcomed were the Drakensberg Boys Choir 2005, 2006, 2014, COTA Namibia Youth Choir 2008, St Peter’s Prep Boys Choir 2009 and Con Spirito Choir 2016, to mention a few. Furthermore, a National Art Teachers Conference in collaboration with the Department of Education was hosted in 2014. Outreach and enrichment concerts are annually offered to schools in Ladybrand, the surrounding area and Lesotho with the aim of introducing orchestral instruments and other music and dramatic arts concepts to children. Performing learners of the Art Academy achieved top scores for UNISA 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, Trinity Rockschool 2008, ACE International Convention 2012, Rockschool 2015, 2016, 2018, Santam Children’s National Art Competition 2018, ABRSM 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023 and ATKV Digikuns 2020, 2022, 2023.

Students of Ronél working and performing in the national and international music scene are, William Berger (baritone), Loyisa Bala (Bala Brothers), Dane Noble-Rosema (pianist, composer), Ralf Schmidt (choral director), Michael Barrett (choral director), Werner Stander (choral director), Simon Vander Plaetse (guitar), Emily Dangwa (soprano), Rikus Coetsee (saxophonist), Lesley Jennings (arts manager), Katleho Mothae (pianist) and Jay du Plessis (Afrikaans pop market).

For the past nineteen years Ronél has taken great joy in working as the organist and music director of the local Dutch Reformed Church, offering community collaboration inter-denominational projects to celebrate highlights on the church calendar.

She holds a MD, Hons BMus and BMus Ed from the University of the Free State (UFS). Currently studying towards a PhD in Music under Dr Frelét de Villiers (Odeion School of Music, UFS) and Prof. Per Ståle Knardal (Business School, Norwegian University of Science and Technology).