From South Coast roots to creating national impact
Barbara Lawrence-Strydom’s journey of resilience now fuels conservation and Her In-Visible Women ecHo bench project.
Former South Coast resident Barbara Lawrence-Strydom continues to turn compassion into action – through storytelling, conservation, and community-driven projects that give a voice to those often overlooked.
On April 18, she walked from Southport to Sunwich Port (and back) with the Bendigo Conservancy, raising awareness for the endangered African penguin.
She briefly chatted to the Herald about her latest project – Her In-Visible Women ecHo bench project which has grown from a single bench at Secret Sands in Glenmore into a national initiative.
It aims to install benches around the country, and plant 700 trees in honour of the 70-year anniversary of the Women’s March to Parliament.
Raised on a farm in Nqabeni, she walked six kilometres to and from school each day.
She later spent time in Langalibalele, Oribi Gorge, where the same daily journey helped shape her resilience. She is the daughter of Zelda Lawrence (née Anderson) and Mitchell Lawrence, with roots grounded in the legacy of her grandparents, Dinah Mkhize-Lawrence and Abraham Lawrence.
Barbara’s banking career began in Harding where she moved on to become a bank manager in Musgrave, Durban.
Her path shifted after meeting her late husband, Shirleigh Strydom, an environmental science graduate from Southern Vermont College in Massachusetts.
Through him she integrated her career to her current role as an environmental, social, and governance specialist positioned through his quote: “there will be no bank if there is no environment, sustainability, social justice and corporate governance.”
After his death, Barbara embarked on a remarkable journey, driving from the southernmost tip of Africa to the Pyramids of Giza.
In 2018, she climbed Mount Kilimanjaro. She also honoured his legacy by writing Waste Knot, part of a trilogy exploring global waste journeys, followed by Seed is Life and The Power of Hemp.
As founder of The Africa I SEE NPC, Barbara champions African identity and heritage.
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