Francois Pienaar, the South African rugby star who led his country to its first world cup in 1995 has taken a significant career switch.
After retiring in the rugby game, Pienaar, who led the Springboks to win the game, first joined First National Bank.
He would later start his own company, Advent Sport and Entertainment Media in 2009 and converted his hobby into a business empire.
His company is currently operating the Varsity Cup and Cape Town Marathon, which are among the largest sporting events in South Africa.
Pienaar indicated that he was influenced by the leadership and the vision of Nelson Mandela on national unity.
That impact continues to inform his business decisions nowadays.
His company is a combination of sport, media, and entertainment, and it is community-centric, youth-development and mass-participation.
He is sure that sport can create stronger societies and he has dedicated himself to the future of South African athletics.
The story of Pienaar shows that athletes can succeed much more than on the field.
His daring switch in careers between rugby, banking and becoming an entrepreneur demonstrates the strength of the vision and reinvention.
He is still a respected voice in South Africa not because of his World Cup win but because of his legacy outside of the pitch.
