Mr Steyn, 59, owes a great deal to chief meerkat Aleksandr Orlov, who talks in a bizarre fake Russian accent. Aleksandr’s catchphrase Simples has become so widespread it was included in the Collins English Dictionary in 2010. Spin-off characters were launched and the meerkats have achieved the feat of taking on a life of their own beyond the commercials that spawned them. Like ITV Digital’s Monkey and Levi’s Flat Eric, Aleksandr is an advertising icon who has been made into a cuddly toy.

He counts Nelson Mandela among his close friends. His new London mansion used to belong to mega-rich Wall Street investment banker Bruce Wasserstein, who died in October 2009. Meerkats – not rodents but a member of the ­mongoose family – have also given a shot in the arm to the advertising ­industry ­because other firms have tried to copy the campaign’s success. Mr Steyn, who stepped down as BGL non-executive chairman in February, is said to divide his time between London and South Africa, where he has interests ­including the five star Saxon Hotel in Johannesburg and a game reserve. The book tells the story of his ­ancestors’ journey from the Kalahari to Moscow and dwells on his love of cravats.Six more books called Meerkat Tales followed.

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