How Former Springbok Bob Skinstad Built a Thriving Business Empire After Rugby

• Former Springbok captain Bob Skinstad has successfully transitioned from rugby to building a global business empire
• He has founded, partnered with, and advised companies across South Africa, the UK, and Scotland, spanning sports, marketing, and investment sectors
• Skinstad remains connected to rugby, co-owning a French club and maintaining an influential presence in the sport

Former Springboks captain Bob Skinstad has built a massive global business empire with footprints in South Africa, the United Kingdom, and France.

Skinstad made his international rugby debut in 1997 and played in the 1999 Rugby World Cup, later being part of the 2007 World Cup-winning team. He led the Boks in the early 2000s and went on to earn 42 caps before retiring in 2007. Like many Springboks icons such as Fourie du Preez, who is now a private equity investor, and Victor Matfield, Skinstad ventured into business soon after hanging up his boots.

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Bob Skinstad's massive business portfolio

His first business foray was in sports management, where he founded the company Esportif. Subsequently, he became a director at the print and communications company Itec Innovate. His corporate career saw him rise to the position of Chief Marketing Officer at Seartec from 2013 to 2016, a distributor of top office automation brands in South Africa.

He went on to lead the South African chapter of the Rugby Business Network, where members helped each other at networking events worldwide. In 2015, he co-founded KNF Ventures, a SARS Section 12J venture capital company. Two years later, in 2017, he became a partner at Knife Capital.

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Skinstad’s business acumen was further recognised when he became a partner at DRAPER-GAIN Investments, a UK-based investment company, from 2016 to 2021. In 2021, he took on the role of strategic advisor at CrowdIQ until 2024.

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Currently based in London, UK, Skinstad has also helped establish Old School, a marketing company specialising in sports and music events in Cape Town. He has partnered with the London-based consulting firm Elixirr and is a shareholder and strategic advisor at Fanbase, a Scottish company.

Bob Skinstad owns a rugby club

His passion for rugby remains strong as he co-owns the French rugby club ASBH Beziers Hérault alongside All Blacks legend Andrew Mehrtens, who serves as co-president with Skinstad. The former Boks star courted controversy in January 2026 with remarks about the Irish rugby team.

Skinstad is married to Debbie Wolff. The couple wed in 2004 after a long relationship. They are parents to four children, including Anna, Tom, Charlotte, and Johnny. In past interviews, Skinstad spoke about enjoying family time, including fishing, surfing, and sporting activities with his wife and children.

Rassie Erasmus expresses confidence in squad depth

Briefly News previously reported that Springboks head coach Rassie Erasmus is confident in the team’s fly-half stocks, a position that once caused headaches ahead of the 2023 Rugby World Cup.

The coach reportedly said he was satisfied with the current depth, noting that the players offer flexibility depending on the gameplan the team wants to implement.

Source: Briefly News