Ten spyte daarvan dat laste groot is, bemaak die testateur bates.

It means despite the fact that.

This is a set expression:

• ten spyte van = despite / in spite of
• daarvan dat is added when what follows is a full clause, not just a noun

So:

• Ten spyte van die groot laste = Despite the large liabilities
• Ten spyte daarvan dat laste groot is = Despite the fact that the liabilities are large

A helpful way to think about it is:

• ten spyte van + noun phrase
• ten spyte daarvan dat + clause

Because ten spyte van normally takes van. When a full clause follows, Afrikaans usually uses daarvan dat to bridge into that clause.

So the pattern is:

• ten spyte van + noun
• ten spyte daarvan dat + clause

Literally, daarvan is something like of that / of it, but in practice you should learn ten spyte daarvan dat as one useful phrase meaning despite the fact that.

Ten spyte dat is not the normal standard form here.

Because dat introduces a subordinate clause, and in Afrikaans subordinate clauses usually send the finite verb to the end.

So:

• Main-clause order: Laste is groot.
• Subordinate-clause order: dat laste groot is

This is very common in Afrikaans:

• Ek weet dat hy kom.
• Sy sê dat die huis groot is.
• Ten spyte daarvan dat laste groot is, ...

So if you see dat, it is very normal to expect the verb later in the clause.

Because the sentence begins with a fronted phrase:

Ten spyte daarvan dat laste groot is, ...

In Afrikaans main clauses, the finite verb normally comes in the second position. Since the opening subordinate phrase takes the first position, the verb comes next:

• Ten spyte daarvan dat laste groot is, bemaak die testateur bates.

If you remove the opening phrase, the normal order would be:

• Die testateur bemaak bates.

So this is a classic case of inversion after a fronted element.

Bemaak is a legal verb meaning to bequeath, to leave by will, or to leave to someone in a testament.

It is not the everyday word you would use for ordinary giving. It belongs to legal or formal language, especially wills and inheritance.

Related idea:

• ’n erfenis bemaak = to bequeath an inheritance
• bates bemaak = to bequeath assets

So the sentence is in a legal/register-specific style.

Testateur means testator — the person who makes a will.

It is a formal legal term, not an everyday word. In normal conversation, many speakers might prefer more familiar wording depending on context, but in legal Afrikaans testateur is perfectly natural.

So:

• die testateur = the person making the will

Because this sentence is about bemaak and bates, the legal vocabulary fits together.

Laste is the plural of las.

In this context, it usually means:

• liabilities
• financial burdens
• debts/obligations in a formal or legal sense

Since the sentence is legal/financial in tone, laste is best understood as liabilities rather than just general burdens.

Compare:

• bates = assets
• laste = liabilities

So the sentence contrasts what is owned with what is owed or burdening the estate.

Bates means assets.

This is another formal/legal/financial term. It refers to property, money, possessions, or value belonging to a person or estate.

A very common pairing in legal and accounting language is:

• bates en laste = assets and liabilities

So in this sentence:

• laste = liabilities
• bates = assets

Because Afrikaans often leaves out the article with plural nouns when speaking in a general or abstract way, especially in formal or legal style.

So:

• laste groot is can mean liabilities are large
• bemaak ... bates can mean bequeaths assets

If the speaker wanted to be more specific, they could add the article:

• dat die laste groot is
• bemaak die bates

Without die, the sentence sounds more general and somewhat more formal/legal.

Here groot means something like large or substantial.

With laste, it does not mean physically big. It means the liabilities are considerable in size or amount.

So laste groot is is best understood as:

• the liabilities are large
• the liabilities are substantial

This is a very common use of groot in Afrikaans, just as English uses large debts or great expense.

Yes, if you want a shorter structure and the meaning fits.

Compare:

• Ten spyte van groot laste, bemaak die testateur bates.
• Ten spyte daarvan dat laste groot is, bemaak die testateur bates.

The first uses a noun phrase:

• ten spyte van + groot laste

The second uses a full clause:

• ten spyte daarvan dat + laste groot is

Both are correct, but the second is a little more explicit because it states the whole idea as a clause.

Yes. It sounds distinctly formal, legal, and technical.

Words that make it sound formal include:

• ten spyte daarvan dat
• bemaak
• testateur
• bates
• laste

In everyday Afrikaans, people would often choose simpler wording unless they were discussing wills, estates, law, or finance.

So this is a good example of legal Afrikaans, not casual speech.

The structure is:

[subordinate concessive phrase], [main clause]

More specifically:

• Ten spyte daarvan dat laste groot is = subordinate phrase meaning despite the fact that liabilities are large
• bemaak die testateur bates = main clause

You can break it down like this:

1. Ten spyte daarvan dat = linker meaning despite the fact that
2. laste groot is = subordinate clause
3. bemaak = finite verb of the main clause
4. die testateur = subject
5. bates = object

So the overall pattern is:

Although X is true, Y happens anyway.

That is the core logic of the sentence.