Strauss & co - Review 2021

Bushveld, Pafuri was our top-selling artwork in 2021, achieving R11.6million at a sale in November. Pierneef was like a lighthouse in a storm last year. I was delighted when every lot in our single- artist sale devoted to Pierneef, the first of its kind anywhere, attracted robust bidding and 100% of the lots sold. The specialist Pierneef sale formed part of basket of new and innovative sales. Strauss & Co’s team of specialists outdid themselves in sourcing credible lots to offer our clients. The overwhelming response to our artist-focused sales and sessions devoted to Keith Alexander, Nico Masemola, John Meyer, John Muafangejo and Hylton Nel were hugely satisfying. The decorative arts and wine departments also excelled. We sold every lot from the Jerling Collection of blue and white “Kraak” porcelain in April. And then in October, every lot in our sale focused on Alheit Vineyards, Sadie Family Wines and Vilafonté found a buyer. There were many other remarkable achievements. I won’t mention every one of them as they are extensively detailed elsewhere in this report. I do though want to highlight a general point. Strauss & Co handles collectables, objects with histories and stories. Over the last year especially, we have made a concerted effort to focus collector attention. A single example suffices. In September we offered five icon wines in a specialist art sale exploring the legacies of impressionism and expressionism on South African art. It was an experiment. The response was more than encouraging: we sold a 200 year-old bottle of Grand Constance 1821 for a record R967 300. Our wine venture has certainly come of age and the results achieved underscore our deep belief in the quality and value of fine South African wines. Strauss & Co is in essence a market maker, but we recognise that sales are only a part of the role we perform within the larger ecosystem we form part of. For Strauss & Co to flourish as a business, the art ecosystem must also flourish. We continued to invest heavily in education, supporting the production of exhibitions, like the excellent Social Stances presentation on Robert Hodgins and George Pemba at our Johannesburg gallery. We also affirmed our commitment to being a good corporate citizen by contributing to staff bursaries and supporting developmental art prizes. We hosted a record number of charitable auctions, eight in total, supporting a wide range of good causes and not-for-profit institutions. I am personally proud of our achievements as a company. At the same time, it is important to acknowledge the difficulties and realties of 2021. Like many of my colleagues and fellow directors at Strauss &Co, I had the privilege of having known Leon Strydom for a long period of time. We spent many a happy hour in the Strydom Gallery in George, learning not only about art, but also about ourselves and the privilege and excitement of living with art. Leon succumbed to Covid-19. It was a bittersweet pleasure and privilege to handle Leon’s estate, as well as to showcase works I bought from him early in my collecting journey at the 2021 Welgemeend Art Month, of which Strauss & Co is a co- sponsor. Collecting is a journey. It typically starts with curiosity, and with the benefit of research and good advice dispensed over a precious wine can mature into a rewarding pursuit. Numbers are important in quantifying the meaning and outcome of this journey, the bottom-line after all always matters, but the relationships forged by the decision to embark on a collecting journey are more important. They are often life changing, and we are grateful for and proud of the role we have been able to play in our clients’ collecting journeys. My sincere appreciation goes to our excellent and dedicated team at Strauss & Co. Their can-do attitude, passion and dedication drove the records we achieved in 2021 and make it an honour and a pleasure to be involved in the company. My deepest thanks also go to our ever-supportive board of directors and our amazing clients. 5