23 September 2022
Who’s who in Steinheist
Steinheist untangles the story of the collapse of Steinhoff, an event that wiped R200 billion of value off the Johannesburg Stock Exchange, the JSE. Under the leadership of CEO Markus Jooste, the company, originally founded by German businessman Bruno Steinhoff, went on an acquisition drive that saw it purchase some of the world’s best-known brands. From PEP, Ackermans and Timbercity in South Africa to Poundland in the UK, Steinhoff aimed to dominate the retail scene. But in December 2017, it all came crashing down.
Steinheist is based on the book by journalist Rob Rose, and features a cast of people closest to the scandal: former and current Steinhoff execs; journalists and pundits from the worlds of finance and horse racing; analysts and finance experts and experts brought in to give insight into this could ever have happened. Here are the key people featured or mentioned in the documentary.
Steinhoff execs and partners
Markus Jooste
Former CEO of Steinhoff implicated in accounting practices that ultimately led to the collapse of the company’s share price. He declined to be interviewed for the documentary.
Alongside his business interests, Jooste is passionate about horse racing. He became the second-biggest horse racing investor in Africa, and one of the biggest in the world.
Bruno Steinhoff
The 84-year-old founder of Steinhoff who built the company into Europe’s second-largest furniture retailer after Ikea.
Christo Wiese
Former chair of Pepkor as well as former chair of Steinhoff and billionaire. The sale of Pepkor to Steinhoff put Wiese at the centre of the scandal as chairman of the Steinhoff board. He is not accused of any wrongdoing.
Bernard Mostert
Former CEO: Tekkie Town, incorporated into Steinhoff in 2016.
Graham Theobald
Former CEO of the Cornick Group, a South African furniture manufacturer bought by Steinhoff in 1999.
Christopher Rutledge
A former Steinhoff executive who worked at the company from 1994 to 2003.
Louis Du Preez
The current CEO of Steinhoff, he took over as Managing Director on 19 December 2017 in the wake of the scandal.
Ben La Grange – CFO of Steinheist
The former CFO of Steinhoff. He declined to be interviewed. He was recently sanctioned by the JSE and disqualified from holding the office of director of a listed company for 10 years.
Andreas Seifert
Former Steinhoff business partner accused of wrongdoing by Markus Jooste. According to Jooste, the tax investigations by the German authorities were the result of a vendetta against him by Seifert. He declined to be interviewed.
The journalists
Rob Rose
Editor of the Financial Mail and author of Steinheist, Rose has spent years unpacking the Steinhoff story.
Robyn Louw
A journalist with the Sporting Post, Louw is also a horse breeder, racehorse owner and horsewoman with deep insights into the world Jooste inhabited.
Ryk Van Niekerk
Editor of Moneyweb.
Alec Hogg
Editor of Biz News, Hogg is also involved in the horse racing world.
Fifi Peters
A respected financial reporter, Peters will help viewers understand key financial terms used in the documentary.
Pieter Du Toit
The assistant editor of News24, Du Toit is the author of The Stellenbosch Mafia, a book about the big-money names who live in and around the town of Stellenbosch in the Western Cape, where Steinhoff is headquartered.
The investors and analysts
Thys Du Toit
Former CEO of Coronation Fund Managers and professional investor.
Craig Butters
A financial analyst, Butters was one of the few people to raise concerns about Steinhoff before the crash.
Zwelakhe Mnguni
The Chief Investment Officer of Benguela Global Fund Managers, Mnguni raised concerns about Steinhoff.
Jean Pierre Verster
A hedge fund manager, Verster suspected the Steinhoff numbers did not add up.
Insight & opinion
Dr Giada Del Fabbro
A forensic psychologist, Dr Del Fabbro gives insight into Jooste’s personality and motivations.
Albert Van Driel
A spokesperson for the Association for Monitoring & Advocacy of Government Pensions, Van Driel works to safeguard government pensions, which were heavily invested in Steinhoff.
Bernard Agulhas
Former CEO of the Independent Regulatory Board For Auditors (IRBA), Agulhas is responsible for the oversight of auditors such as PwC and Deloitte.
David Maynier
The DA Shadow Minister of Finance, Maynier was involved in the hearings where Jooste and the officers of Steinhoff were summoned to appear and explain the scandal.
Kgani Matabane
CEO of the Black Business Council which advocates for transformation in the business sector.
Johann Van Rooyen
Former resident of Wilgenhof, the notorious University of Stellenbosch mens’ residence where Jooste and many influential business leaders lived.
What is the dog’s name in Steinhoff?
The Yorkie is named Kiki, and she is a very good girl.
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