groenendaal was born in heerewaarden, the netherlands, son of a farmer in that village. he was trained as a schoolteacher, and worked in a primary school in the dutch town of amersfoort in the late 1840s. several articles written in 1848 and 1849 by professor u.g. lauts about dutch relations with south africa, and the need for dutch assistance in the field of education and public administration, inspired groenendaal to get in touch with lauts. on his recommendation groenendaal emigrated to south africa in 1849, already forty-four years old, but still single. from cape town, where he arrived with several other dutch migrants, groenendaal travelled to the orange river sovereignty, where he established himself in february 1850 as government teacher in rietrivier in sannah's poort (now fauresmith).