Jo-Ann Strauss

From Millennium Miss SA to popular TV personality to accomplished businesswoman: Jo-Ann Strauss has followed a stellar career path that has sparked public interest across South Africa and around the world. As a highly sought-after Master of Ceremonies and Speaker, she has charmed audiences everywhere, all the while making an impact in the corporate world with her business savvy.

Born and raised in Cape Town, this Stellenbosch University graduate holds a B.Comm Law degree – and that’s on top of her glamorous globe-trotting accomplishments, which include representing South Africa at the Miss World Pageant in Puerto Rico and strutting her stuff on the catwalk alongside supermodels Naomi Campbell, Kate Moss, Elle McPherson and Helena Christensen in Barcelona.

Strauss is also no stranger to the world of television.  She presented the popular Afrikaans magazine show Pasella for four years before moving on to Top Billing, a platform which saw her invited as a guest of Miramax to the Sundance Film Festival, an attendee at Elton John’s Fundraising concert in Vienna and the interviewer of Charlize Theron, Antonia Banderas, George Clooney and U2’s Bono, to name but a few.  She’s graced the covers of most of South Africa’s top magazines, won the Duku Duku Award for most stylish female presenter and has received numerous nominations and awards for best presenter. And as the face of Lux, Strauss joins the ranks of stars like Catherine Zeta-Jones and Sarah-Jessica Parker and has been voted one of SA's best and most stylish media personalities on various occasions.

Strauss has acted as MC for many prestigious events, among the most memorable being President Thabo Mbeki’s “Transformation” events, during which Jo-Ann and President Mbeki co-delivered the keynote address. She has also hosted the International Islamic Finance and Investment Conference (attended by the President of Malaysia) and the World Conference on Computers in Education.

Strauss is also profoundly involved in charity work, such as Mzantsi-Afrika and various corporate social investment projects. She’s a passionate campaigner for the alleviation of poverty and for the rights of all people to education, healthcare and housing, and was one of a host of international celebrity MCs at a charity fundraiser for Zimbabwe in Florence. She has various business interests, but her focus is on Corporate Social Investment projects which re-invest much needed funds into deserving young people's education. She has also founded her own Princess Project.

As Director in a Broad-Based BEE Venture Capital Company called Partnership Investments, Strauss is at home in her other role as an astute businesswoman. She is also the chairperson of the Partnership Foundation Trust which equips learners with much needed skills for building South Africa and was appointed Director on the Western Cape Board of Ubuntu-Botho, a division of Sanlam.