Former Springbok prop Tendai “Beast” Mtawarira continues to make significant moves in the business world.
The World Cup winner is set to make another addition to his business portfolio by launching his own wine label soon.
Mtawarira, 36, has become a full-time businessman after calling time on his illustrious career in 2019 on the back of a successful World Cup for the Boks.
In his short stint as a fully-fledged businessman, Mtawarira has scored a few ambassadorship roles, a seat on the Sharks board, and now he is expanding his portfolio into wine production.
“We are actually planning the launch now, so you kind of jumped the gun there and obviously you caught wind of it,” Mtawarira said in an interview with TimesLIVE. “But ja I’m actually quite a big secret wine lover. I enjoy it a lot and now I’ve done a partnership with some prominent wine estates in the Cape, and we are launching the Beast Wine Collection, which is going to be packed with some amazing wine. I’m looking forward to unpacking that a bit more when it gets into the market.”
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Businesses Mtawarira has ventured into since his playing days include running a security company and getting his foundation up and running.
“Life after rugby for me has been quite hectic, but I’m certainly enjoying it,” he said. “I had a plan that I kind of laid down before I retired from rugby, and I think that’s what made a big difference because I knew exactly what I was going to do. Some of the ventures I’m currently in include running a security company called Umlindi Security, which is part of Fidelity Group.”
Mtawarira is also working to complete an MBA.
“That’s probably the toughest thing I’ve started after rugby, to try and get back to school, because I realised that education is important for my future in business,” Mtawarira said. “I want to have a strong academic qualification, so I’m doing that, and I also have my foundation, the Beast Foundation, which is my way of giving back to the people who have empowered me and also helping the next generation. That has given me a big purpose, doing good work in communities.”
“I also sit on the board of the Sharks, I’ve got a role there representing the MVM Holdings consortium. I’ve got a strategising role that I play, and I spend time with Sharks CEO Eduard Coetzee.”
The former star has also credited his success in part to his partnership with the renowned Roc Nation Sports International agency.
Mtawarira was also recently announced as the ambassador for humanitarian and developmental aid for children organisation Unicef in eastern and Southern Africa.