South African man who smoked since age 14 dies from asthma attack hours after turning 121

A South African man, who had been smoking since the age of 14, died hours after turning 121 of an asthma attack. He died on New Year's Day in Colchester, a village in the Eastern Cape province. Jan Steenberg, nicknamed Oom Jan, claimed to be 121, which would have made him the oldest man alive. However, the Guinness World Records never recognised him as the world's oldest living man. The current record holder is Joao Marinho Neto, a Brazilian supercentenarian who is 113 years old. Meanwhile, Oom Jan used to say that he was born on December 31, 1904. He worked as a grave digger, fisherman and golf caddie during his lifetime. He also witnessed several major world events, including the World Wars, the apartheid era in South Africa, where blacks were discriminated against, and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Oom Jan said his faith kept him alive despite his smoking habit

In an interview in 2025, Oom Jan credited his faith in God as the reason for his long life. "God is my oxygen and my saviour. Though I also smoke. I've been smoking since I was 14 - back then, I used to steal cigarettes," he said. He also claimed that a herbal drink he consumed throughout his life kept him active and healthy. Oom Jan is survived by two daughters, two grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. He also had pets - four dogs and a cat. He was with his family at the time of his passing. According to one of his family friends, Oom Jan was honoured with a special award every year at the Senior Citizen of the Year Awards because of his age, which made him the oldest person at the event.

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Those who knew him say that he was a humble man who spoke and acted like a gentleman. Oom Jan also used to dress smartly, wear a hat and dance at events. He had four dogs and a cat as pets since he was an animal lover.