Born and raised in Mpumalanga, attended Hoerskool Nelspruit and represented the Pumas in the U18 Craven Weeks of both 2015 and 2016. Turning out for the South African U18 Schools team against the best forward packs of the northern hemisphere, Maritz caught the attention of numerous professional franchises, but chose to further his career at the Blue Bulls. Despite the Bulls being known to possess some of the best tight forward talent in the country, Dewald quickly staked a claim as a starting front ranker, thriving in the U19 Currie Cup, before earning a senior professional debut in the 2018 Supersport Rugby Challenge.

At just 20-years-old, the mobile Maritz had successfully transitioned from tighthead to loosehead prop, and he continued in this vein through two dominant U21 Currie Cup campaigns. A destructive ball-carrier with a dangerous fend, Dewald is as comfortable bumping off defenders in midfield as he is in the tight quarters of the set piece. It came as no surprise that the Mpumalanga Pumas looked to a 22-year-old Maritz for a timely homecoming during the 2020 Super Rugby SA competition, as his scrummaging shows all the technical traits to compete at the highest level. A modern prop with many years ahead of him, Dewald Maritz brings a maturity that is so rare for players of his age.