Conrad Strauss Fondly Remembered

The term ‘renaissance man’ was invented for this son of Kenhardt who made his way to the pinnacle of South African banking as Chairman of the Standard Bank via Rhodes and Cornell Universities, the latter where he obtained his doctorate in economics. But he was more than a banker. He gave generously to various philanthropic interests, including the arts and education. He had a second career in the art world. In an era when business commitment is measured routinely in words and not deeds, he was a doyen among corporate leaders in activities as varied as the Brenthurst Group, the SA Foundation and, for over two decades, in taking over from Harry Oppenheimer as Chairman of the South African Institute of International Affairs.

It was at SAIIA that I first came into contact with him as a somewhat wild and woolly 1990 returnee to South Africa who had joined the Institute’s Western Cape branch. He offered more than guidance in steering the venerable institute out of its financial morass, but was willing to make the calls to corporate South Africa to dig into their pockets to do so. Later, when I joined the full-time staff, he was a wise and thoughtful ally in helping to carve out a new role for an institution born during an entirely different era between the two world wars.

His instincts were inclusive, whether this be in finding resources to grow our research capacity, or in extending invitations, not least a memorable occasion briefing Henry Kissinger at the Standard Bank headquarters. There was also a dry wit lurking, most notably in asking Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma for her advice on Cuban cigars after she had kept us waiting a long time outside for one of the Annual Foreign Minister’s addresses. And I witnessed his gentle diplomacy, in coaxing an untalkative Yasser Arafat into conversation by finding a common thread in his wife Josette’s father, who like Arafat was a civil engineer and had been based in Egypt. I also entertainingly watched his efforts to mediate between President Mandela and Helen Suzman at another SAIIA dinner. Sitting between the two tested his diplomatic skills, with the veteran MP putting Madiba to rights on just about everything. But he could also be most firm, not least in handling hecklers and telling hard truths where necessary, including to the white business community in the siege-like 1980s.

Having joined the Standard Bank in 1963, he was from an era when jobs were vocations, stepping down as chairman in 2000. He made his mark, and South Africa is the better for it.