My sincerest condolences to Carolyn, Tanya, TJ, Louis and their kids, Elsa and Gui over the passing of Douw Steyn. They have lost a husband, father, grandfather and brother and many people have lost a dear friend. At President Mandela’s wedding and 80th birthday celebration at Gallagher estate in 1998, I was called to the green room by the President. At the time I did not know that he would request me to continue working for him in retirement. I thought he wanted to give me a to-do- list, but in the room I found him seated with a lady and gentleman I had never met before. “Now Zeldina” the President said. “I want you to meet Douw and his wife Liz Steyn.” He then switched to speaking Afrikaans. “Douw is ‘n Afrikaner soos jy en ek wil hê jy moet baie mooi na hom kyk’. Madiba made people belong, and his intention with my presence was to create a safe space for a fellow Afrikaner. I thought I was to look after Douw and Liz on the night of the event but they appeared completely capable of doing so themselves. I had heard of Douw before and attended the President’s launch of his autobiography ‘The Long Walk to Freedom’ at the Steyn home in Saxonwold a few years earlier. Douw met with the ANC leadership in Lusaka during the 80s when it was not favourable for Afrikaners to meet with the ANC. He saw the writing on the wall and offered support for a new democracy, meeting with OR Tambo and Thabo Mbeki. Mr Mbeki introduced Douw to Madiba after his release from prison and when a late night call was made when Madiba left his marital home in Soweto, Douw provided him and his grandsons with refuge to stay at his home for over six months. Madiba greatly appreciated Douw’s gesture and they remained friends thereafter. Madiba was like that. Always showing appreciation and never forgetting the smallest act of kindness to him. I gathered that I was expected to ensure that they remain in contact and have the opportunity to see each other from time to time as was the case too with several of his other close friends. I learnt that Douw was an insurance mogul in South Africa and abroad and was interested in his story. One of my best friends’ family were neighbors to Douw growing up, and she remembers how she and her brother had to help push Douw’s old Volkswagen combi in the street to get going on cold winter mornings in Melville, Johannesburg when it wouldn’t start. Douw had taken the unthinkable step of buying a bancrupt insurance company, effectively buying the risk and debt only, and started what is today known as Telesure (home to Auto&General, First for Women, Verseker, Hippo to name a few) and Budget insurance international. His was not generational wealth, but a company that was started by him selling insurance from door-to-door and convincing the insolvent entity’s clients to put their trust in him. Many agreed due to his persuasive personality and he did good on his promises. His beginnings were humble but the impact he leaves on the business world to be noted in history books. He employed thousands of people, and created companies that also made employees feel that they belonged. He was the first person to start call-centres as we know them today dealing with dedicated staff for insurance queries and claims. During Covid in 2020 he donated R320 million to the corona virus relief efforts. Many people have lots of money but few people know how to spend it wisely. Through Douws vision the Saxon hotel became a game changer in the hotel industry. He then created Shambala game reserve where he built Madiba a house for his exclusive use where he could finally enjoy peace and quiet away from the pressures of a public life. A place Madiba frequented and of which he had many happy memories. We hosted many international celebrities, politicians and philanthropist there the likes of Lewis Hamilton, Morgan Freeman, Clint Eastwood, the Royal family of the Netherlands, the Clintons and 46664 concert artists like Brian May, Roger Taylor, Peter Gabriel and Annie Lennox, all at Douws expense and mostly in his absence. Douw was an exceptional host and he often reminded me of Jay Gatsby as depicted in the Great Gatsby film. Douw had an intense love for nature and he created a thriving wild life eco-system in the once cattle grazing farm in the Waterberg. At any time you could ask Douw about the welfare of any of the animals on his farm and he would know exactly, to the finest detail, what the plan was to grow and support the system. He built the biggest private man-made dam in Sub Sahara Africa on Shambala. The private game reserve is also now home to Charley, the retired elephant from Pretoria Zoo after Douw’s sons offered a sanctuary for the old man. Madiba’s signature ivory walking stick made from the tusk of an elephant that died on Shambala was gifted to him by Douw. Madiba did not have many material belongings but his stick was a prized possession. As I documented in “Good Morning, Mr Mandela” the walking stick was stolen by someone who had access to Madiba’s homes. It has still not surfaced. But Douw was hardly ever satisfied with what he had achieved and when he started telling us that he wanted to build a city, we thought it was simply one of his crazy dreams. He was genius in many ways but his ability to visualise great projects and to create sanctuaries for others to share and enjoy, his most notable. Today the beauty and serenity created in Steyn City speaks for itself and we learnt a valuable lesson that one should never doubt the genius of Douw Steyn. Whenever Madiba needed a place to stay during home renovations or when travelling to the UK, Douw was always quick to offer and without exception, dealt with Madiba’s visits with the utmost respect and discretion. What makes Douw’s relationship with Madiba stand out from any modern day wealth and political relationship, is that despite his generosity he néver expected anything from Madiba or anyone else for that matter in return. Madiba enjoyed his sense of humor coupled with the astute business brain and Douw had the ability to always bring a smile to his face when his name was mentioned. None of Douw’s companies are publicly listed and therefore the true value difficult to estimate. Madiba once asked Douw how much money he had. Douw would simply pull up his shoulders and respond ‘I really don’t know Madiba’ which amuzed Madiba because it was inconceivable to him that someone did not know his own bank balance. Theirs was a warm friendship and he considered Douw a son and as a father figure he even sometimes offered life advice to him . It is appropriate at this time to also acknowledge the many people who had worked for Douw and his family over the years. They served Douw with distinction and I remain in awe of their complete dedication and commitment despite having to navigate the complexities that comes with such an environment. Douw deeply loved his children and always reported on their wellbeing and boasted about their progress to Madiba with pride and enthusiasm. Wealth, power and fame almost always create a measure of loneliness. Douw was not spared from that. Then in 2013 he married Carolyn Steyn again (nee Barkhuizen). Carolyn had cared deeply for Douw in the last couple of years despite all his health challenges, with patience and love that is admirable. After Madiba’s passing the family continued their interest in me personally and I am grateful for many memories in Douw’s company over lunch and visits and for the love and care they also showed me. They created that same sense of belonging for me, that Nelson Mandela was renowned for too. I was also committed to keeping my word to Madiba to ‘look after Douw’ and am forever grateful to Carolyn for facilitating that I kept my promise to enquire and visit Douw from time to time up until this past weekend when I was able to greet Douw. Douw was too young to die but there are many lessons to learn from this mans’ life. He passed on knowledge and vision to so many people and the impact he made will be enjoyed by generations to come. I know Douw’s children, close associates and family will continue to build the outstanding legacy of business excellence and commitment to South Africa that he leaves behind. Apart from his family, there are many people that will feel the personal loss of Douw’s passing today. I too, am deeply saddened by his death. Not only did I lose a friend, but also another personal connection to Madiba. Rest now Douw, and in peace. The suffering is over. Give my love to Madiba. Until we meet again