His grandfather was Sir Walter Stanford, who argued strongly but unsuccessfully for enfranchisement for native peoples regardless of their race or colour at the National Convention of 1909, which led to the creation of the Union of South Africa under the terms of the South Africa Act 1909.
[2] He then worked for Sir de Villiers Graaff, leader of the United Party.
[2] He would later develop the company's gold mines in the Free State and oversaw the creation of Highveld Steel and Vanadium.
[2] He led a group of South African businessmen who met with the banned African National Congress's representative Oliver Tambo in Lusaka, Zambia in 1985, resisting the pressures from the then South African government under State President of South Africa P.W.
[2] Relly died of complications from cardiac surgery and was survived by his wife Jane, and children Janis, Georgina and Giles.