Draft:Strauss & Co
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Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Auction house |
| Founded | 2009 |
| Founders | Elisabeth Bradley, Stephan Welz, Vanessa Phillips |
| Headquarters | Johannesburg, South Africa |
Key people | Frank Kilbourn (Executive Chairperson), Susie Goodman, Bina Genovese |
| Products | Fine art, modern art, contemporary art, decorative arts, fine wine, jewellery, furniture |
| Website | straussart.co.za |
Strauss & Co is an African auction house specialising in modern and contemporary art, decorative arts, fine wine, furniture, and jewellery. The company hosts live and online auctions, as well as specialist sales, attracting both domestic and international collectors. It has expanded into Europe[1] and the United Kingdom, with a presence in London and Munich.[2] Beyond auctions, Strauss & Co supports education, community engagement, and cultural initiatives across Africa.[3]
History
Strauss & Co was founded in 2009 to establish an auction platform for African art. At the time, the African art market was less developed than established international centres in Europe, North America, and Asia, where major auction houses such as Sotheby's and Christie's were dominant. Co-founders Elisabeth Bradley, Stephan Welz, and Vanessa Phillips launched the company with live "marquee" auctions and monthly online sales.[4] Auctions for fine wine, jewellery, furniture, and design were introduced later.
Locations
Strauss & Co is headquartered in Johannesburg, with an office in Cape Town. Live auctions take place in both cities, while monthly online sales are available worldwide. The company also has regional representatives in South Africa, including the Cape Winelands and KwaZulu-Natal, and the coastal region from Mossel Bay to Gqeberha, as well as in London and Munich. These representatives provide valuation, consignment, and advisory services.
Services
Strauss & Co facilitates the resale of art and collectables through various auction formats, including flagship live "marquee" auctions featuring high-profile artworks and monthly online-only sales accessible globally. Following the COVID-19 pandemic, the company introduced a virtual live auction model, enabling real-time online bidding via webcast and expanding its international bidder base.[5]
The company also offers private treaty sales, allowing collectors to purchase high-value items discreetly outside the public auction calendar. Valuation services for insurance, estate distribution, and probate matters are available through regional "valuation days" across South Africa.[6]
Departments
Strauss & Co operates through specialist departments, including Fine Art, Decorative Arts, Design, Jewellery, and Wine, and manages acquisitions, authentication, valuation, and sales in each area.
Wine
In 2019, Strauss & Co created a Wine Department focused on auctioning fine and collectable wines. The department has achieved record prices for South African producers, including Kanonkop Estate, Klein Constantia, Groot Constantia, and the Sadie Family.[7][8] In late 2024, Strauss & Co introduced the Cape Fine Brandy Auction, a timed online sale dedicated to rare South African brandies.[9]
Educational and Community Engagement
Strauss & Co has offered educational programmes and community initiatives, including lectures, masterclasses, curated non-selling exhibitions, and school tours.[10][11] Past collaborations include participation in events organised by cultural organisations such as Toyota US Woordfees[12] and the RMB Latitudes Art Fair.[13]
Art Club
Launched in February 2023 in Johannesburg, Art Club is a community initiative focused on art engagement. It expanded to Cape Town in March 2023 and London in 2024, offering events and discussions for new and experienced art collectors.[14]
Preservation of African Art
In 2022, Strauss & Co organised a charity sale raising approximately US$1,300,000 to support the relocation of artwork following the closure of the Irma Stern Museum in Cape Town.[15]
Management
Board of Directors
Strauss & Co is governed by a board of directors responsible for strategic oversight and corporate governance. The board is led by Executive Chairperson Frank Kilbourn, a businessman and philanthropist who succeeded founding chairperson Elisabeth Bradley in 2016.[16][17]
Board members include founding executive Bina Genovese and Susie Goodman, both of whom previously held senior roles at Christie's in Rome and London, respectively.[18] Other directors include mining entrepreneur Khetiwe McClain,[19] as well as non-executive directors Caro Wiese and Jack Ginsberg.
Executive and Departmental Leadership
In 2017, art historian and curator Dr Alastair Meredith was appointed Head of Strauss & Co’s Johannesburg art department. Meredith has contributed to the development of the company’s modern and contemporary art programme and its curatorial and scholarly profile.[20] [21]
Advisory Board
In 2024, Strauss & Co established an Advisory Board to support strategic intelligence and international expansion. The board is chaired by Millard Arnold, a former United States diplomat and international relations specialist.[22]
Members include legal and taxation expert Liesl Fichardt, curator and researcher Heba El Kayal, media executive Greg Maloka, and media personality Jo-Ann Strauss, who joined the advisory board in 2023 following the retirement of founding directors Elisabeth Bradley and Dr Conrad Strauss. The advisory board focuses on strengthening the company’s presence within global art ecosystems, particularly in Africa, the Middle East, and Europe.
Notable Auctions
- June 2017: Pierneef's Farm Jonkershoek with Twin Peaks Beyond, Stellenbosch (1928), sold for $1,064,000.[23]
- March 2023: Irma Stern’s Children Reading the Koran (1939) sold for $1,227,000, setting a continental auction record.[24][25]
- May 2025: Vladimir Tretchikoff’s Lady from the Orient (1955) sold for $1,735,409, surpassing the previous world record for a Tretchikoff painting.[26][27]
References
- ^ "African Art in Venice Forum". Retrieved 12 January 2026.
- ^ "African art sales outperformed the overall market despite a slump last year". Barron's. Retrieved 12 January 2026.
- ^ "Art Auction East Africa". Retrieved 12 January 2026.
- ^ "A Conversation with Art Legend Stephan Welz". Art Africa Magazine. Retrieved 12 January 2026.
- ^ "How Strauss & Co became the global leader for South African art at auctione". Apollo Magazine. Retrieved 13 January 2026.
- ^ "Strauss & Co brings important works to market". Daily Maverick. Retrieved 13 January 2026.
- ^ "Strauss & Co online auction sets new record". Winemag.co.za. Retrieved 24 November 2025.
- ^ "200-year-old South African wine sells at auction". BusinessTech. Retrieved 24 November 2025.
- ^ "A brandy idiot gets hammered at auction". Mail & Guardian. 15 November 2024. Retrieved 14 January 2026.
- ^ "A Gerard Sekoto Moment at Strauss & Co". TimesLive. 29 April 2025. Retrieved 14 January 2026.
- ^ "Intersections: Bill Ainslie and the Johannesburg Art Foundation". University of the Witwatersrand. Retrieved 14 January 2026.
- ^ "Strauss & Co: Travelling Sekoto Returns Home". Toyota Stellenbosch Woordfees. Retrieved 14 January 2026.
- ^ "RMB Latitudes Art Fair Returns for its Third Edition in 2025". Rand Merchant Bank. Retrieved 14 January 2026.
- ^ "South African auction house Strauss & Co expands London footprint with an Art Club". Artnet News. 2023. Retrieved 12 January 2026.
- ^ Adam, Georgina (9 January 2026). "Storm over closure of South Africa's much-loved Irma Stern Museum". The Art Newspaper. Retrieved 12 January 2026.
- ^ "Strauss & Co Bolstered by Heavyweights". ArtThrob. Retrieved 13 January 2026.
- ^ "Frank Kilbourn appointed Executive Chairman of Strauss and Co". Art Africa Magazine. Retrieved 14 January 2026.
- ^ "Trailblazing women driving growth at Strauss & Co". Woman and Home Magazine. 20 March 2025. Retrieved 13 January 2026.
- ^ "Leading/Inspirational Businesswomen, Khetiwe McClain And Jo-Ann Strauss, Join Strauss & Co". Business Media MAGS. Retrieved 13 January 2026.
- ^ "Latitudes Podcast featuring Alastair Meredith". Latitudes Online. Retrieved 13 January 2026.
- ^ Dr Alastair Meredith (25 July 2020). The rise of African art globally with Dr Alastair Meredith. SABC News. Retrieved 14 January 2026 – via YouTube.
- ^ "Strauss & Co Expands International Aspirations With The Appointment Of A New Board". L’Afrique Magazine. 19 August 2024. Retrieved 13 January 2026.
- ^ "Twin Peaks Pierneef sells for R20m". TimesLive. Retrieved 24 November 2025.
- ^ "Record price for Irma Stern at Strauss & Co sale". SA Art Times. Retrieved 24 November 2025.
- ^ "Irma Stern's painting nets R22.3m". IOL. Retrieved 24 November 2025.
- ^ "Tretchikoff Lady from the Orient sets new auction record". IOL. Retrieved 24 November 2025.
- ^ "Tretchikoff triumph breaks world record". News24. Retrieved 24 November 2025.
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