South African billionaire and businessman Douw Steyn, who based the BGL Insurance coverage Group and was a superb buddy of late South African statesman Nelson Mandela, has died aged 77.
Steyn, identified for his international success within the insurance coverage trade, died on Tuesday following an extended interval of sickness.
He was regarded in South Africa as a “visionary” with a “bigger than life character”.
Steyn first befriend Mandela shortly after the previous president was launched from his decades-long imprisonment on Robben Island.
Steyn’s demise was confirmed by Steyn Metropolis Properties, the corporate behind the posh property he developed round 2010.
The corporate mentioned Steyn could be “remembered as an distinctive entrepreneur who constructed a world enterprise of immense scale throughout seven nations.
The Nelson Mandela Basis mentioned it mourned the demise of “somebody Madiba [Mandela] thought to be a buddy”.
“He [Steyn] supported Madiba in quite a few methods over a few years. Throughout 1992 Madiba lived in [Steyn’s] dwelling as he navigated his approach by way of a really painful separation from Winnie Madikizela-Mandela.”
South Africa’s first democratically elected president additionally “often turned to” Steyn “when he wanted areas for retreat or help for his initiatives”, based on the inspiration.
Mandela spent 27 years in jail for campaigning to finish white-minority rule.
Eighteen of these years had been spent on Robben Island, an island off Cape City.
Steyn started his entrepreneurial journey in 1975 when he based Steyn’s Insurance coverage Brokers, based on South African every day enterprise web site BusinessLIVE.
This could pave the way in which for the institution of one of many nation’s main teams, Auto & Normal, and later BGL Insurance coverage within the UK within the 90s.
He additionally established the Steyn Basis, which is aimed toward supporting its impoverished townships.
He leaves behind his spouse and three youngsters.
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