Joost Strydom descends from ancestors who arrived in the Cape in 1678. In 1995, Joost and his family moved to Orania to help build its vision of self-sufficiency. They left the green Natal region for the arid Karoo.

Joost holds degrees in communication, anthropology, politics, philosophy, and economics. He sees Orania as both a calling and a sustainable future, working to build prosperity with his fellow Oranians.