Dina Rast, 50, the wife of a top Swiss businessman, was allegedly bludgeoned to death on Friday by a worker on their ostrich farm on the West Rand.
The employee then called the police and, on their arrival at the farm near Nooitgedag, handed himself over. He is being held in custody pending an appearance in the Krugersdorp Magistrate's Court on Monday.
Inspector Herman Esterhuizen of the Muldersdrift police said a work-related argument had ensued between Rast and the man during which she was hit by a wooden fence pole. She fell to the ground, was further assaulted and died at the scene.
Rast was the wife of international commodity broker Marcel Rast, a director of Exatrade Commodities in Rivonia. He is also the honorary consul of Guatemala. They have an 11-year-old son, Frankie, who was on the farm at the time of the assault.
Dina Rast, a talented artist, trained as a dress designer at Natal Technikon. She was the younger daughter of KwaZulu-Natal businesswoman Eve Ferrow and the late Dennis Ferrow.