South Africa

The man behind the world’s best boutique hotel in Johannesburg

Shaun Jacobs • 15 March 2025

Formerly the home of insurance billionaire Douw Steyn, who passed away earlier this year, the Saxon Hotel was transformed into the world’s leading boutique hotel.

Situated on ten acres of indigenous gardens, the hotel provides a peaceful oasis in the centre of South Africa’s economic hub of Sandton.

The Saxon has a rich history. It is where Nelson Mandela stayed after being released from prison in the 1990s and wrote Long Walk to Freedom.

Mandela stayed at the property when it was still Steyn’s home, with the billionaire wanting to aid the peaceful transition to democracy as much as he could.

Steyn made his fortune by revolutionising insurance in South Africa and the United Kingdom, with his net worth at the time of his death on 4 February 2025 estimated at £3 billion (around R70 billion).

Born in Brits in 1952 and educated in Linden, Steyn was not raised in a well-off family and regularly performed magic tricks as a child for extra money.

He never completed his studies despite attending Rand Afrikaans University (RAU), now UJ, and Potchefstroom Universiteit vir Christelike Hoer Onderwys (PUK), the forerunner of North-West University.

While he did not graduate from university, Steyn saved money by working as a train conductor to complete a two-year business administration course in Germany, aided by a bursary.

After this course, Steyn returned to South Africa and began working for his father’s estate agency in Melville. Working as a real estate agent, Steyn became fascinated with insurance.

He moved to California to start an insurance company called Calamerica but returned to South Africa to purchase struggling Crusader, which gave him his insurance broking licence.

He changed the name to Auto & General, began recapitalising the business, and set out to disrupt the local insurance market.

Steyn introduced telemarketing to South Africa and spearheaded paperless insurance in the country. Auto & General was also the first company in the country to introduce debit orders.

In the 1990s, Steyn expanded the business overseas and replicated Auto & General’s success with Budget Insurance.

During that decade, Steyn also became good friends with Nelson Mandela and befriended other prominent members of the ANC despite the potential risk to his business.

Douw Steyn on the terrace of his home in Steyn City

The Saxon Hotel

By the time he had befriended Nelson Mandela, Steyn had built his palatial home in the suburb of Sandhurst.

After Mandela was released from prison, Steyn offered to let him reside in his home during his visits to Johannesburg and organised meetings with influential businessmen.

This was common at the time, with civil society organisations and ‘Big Business’ working hard to ensure a peaceful transition to democracy.

Many businessmen would offer apartments in Johannesburg to ANC leaders returning from exile.

Anglo American, for example, would host various conferences at its Carlton Hotel between JSE-listed companies and those set to lead the new government.

Steyn’s decision to let Mandela stay at his home continues to be felt today, with the hotel being extensively decorated with artwork inspired by the political leader alongside photographs of key moments of his life.

The luxurious home was first unveiled in April 2000 as The Saxon Hotel Villas and Spa, a 26-suite luxury hotel and conference centre.

It has since built its reputation for unequal luxury, having been honoured by the World Travel Awards as the World’s Leading Boutique Hotel every year since its first participation in the awards in 2000.

The name comes from the Steyn family’s coat of arms, with the billionaire referring to the residence as the Saxon.

Mandela stayed at the hotel after it was converted from a home, and the suite he stayed in was renamed the Nelson Mandela Platinum Suite in his honour.

The hotel expanded throughout the 2000s, with the award-winning Saxon Spa first launching in 2006 and then being renovated extensively in 2016.

In 2010, the Saxon unveiled three new villas, each with a private dining library or boardroom, terrace, and heated plunge pool.

Today, the hotel has 53 suites and was extensively redesigned during the pandemic, with its interior completely refurbished.

The reception retains its distinctive chandelier and twin staircases, and the well-known Dean Simon artwork “Foresight and Hindsight: The Five Faces of Mandela” takes centre stage.

The artworks trace the progression of Mandela’s life from his early youth to a compassionate older statesman. The updated new look for the hotel’s restaurant, Qunu, features a mural depicting a warm sunset view over the Shambala Private Game Reserve.