Standing over a dominating 1.8m tall, Makazole Mapimpi is the last person you would want to face on a rugby field.
A friendly giant whose struggles are hidden deep beneath his hulking figure, the sportster is looking to change the lives of those who had difficult early careers like he did.
Pulling at the heartstrings of the nation during the 2019 Rugby World Cup, Mapimpi became an underdog who had the spotlight shone on his journey to the finals.
While he has often shied away from the spotlight, having faced many of his own trials and tribulations, Mapimpi has spent much of the year advocating against gender-based violence and is now shifting towards business in his current venture, Unorthodox Sports.
“I saw how lucky I was coming from my background and I wanted to give this opportunity to the young people coming up who can become professionals as well,” says Mapimpi, who was especially concerned about issues athletes face off the pitch in terms of financial planning and branding.
In partnership with Unorthodox Group CEO Sibabalwe Sesimani, Unorthodox Sport seeks to structure the brands of athletes to ensure sustainability long after their professional retirement.
This will be achieved through expert advice in business ventures, media exposure, accessing the necessary endorsement deals and investment planning among an array of services that will also include brokering deals for opportunities to play for teams outside the country.
“These are things I didn’t know had to be managed and there are many people like me who need to know about this as well,” says Mapimpi. “I started this company to provide exposure to the many talented athletes across all sporting codes that may otherwise go unnoticed.”
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Hoping to change the lives of athletes in a number of sporting fields, Mapimpi has become the big brother he needed many a time in his own life.
During the recent World Cup, players had their family members emblazoned on the numbers of their jerseys – a mosaic of love they wore to victory. However, this was not the case for Mapimpi, who only got to wear a jersey with his face on it.
Before his rugby career kicked off, Mapimpi faced a great tragedy when he lost his mother in a car accident, his sister succumbed to a brain illness shortly after and his brother was electrocuted to death, leaving him to fend for himself.
“I was always focusing on playing rugby, day-after-day. I can’t rest to think about a lot of things, especially my future, but as time goes by you start to realise you don’t know what you are doing. It was tough but I can’t change the past.”
With no other immediate family members, Mapimpi’s comfort became his cousins and grandmother who helped him cope and find the right outlets for his turmoil, like rugby. Though the rugby star often avoids the spotlight, he often finds himself in the midst of many contentious issues.
At the heart of the most contested rugby squad in Springbok history, Mapimpi was one of many black players whose dreams were under threat of being deferred due to the dislike of black players being part of the team.
“There is a lot of pressure but I have to keep telling myself that I’m representing everyone in SA,” says Mapimpi. “It’s not like everyone sees things the same way and you can’t change that. I don’t react to it, I don’t reply. I don’t even tweet back to those kinds of things.”
But it's not all doom and gloom on his social media where he has garnered a lot of love from adoring fans.
A shy Mapimpi gushes at the thought and appreciates “the support from everyone”.
While no known suitor has laid claim to his heart, Mapimpi says he would love to start a family of his own. “I would like for my kids to follow in my footsteps if the talent is there and if it’s something they are passionate about, but I would encourage my kids to do what they feel passionate about.”
Fact File: Makazole Mapimpi
Favourite sports star: LeBron James
Favourite food: Pasta
Favourite movie: Don’t Breathe
Favourite TV show: Isibaya
Dream holiday destination: New York
Favourite emoji: 👌🏽 👌🏽 👌🏽 👌🏽
Top-three songs on playlist: Uhlale Wazi – Simmy; Empini – Kelly Khumalo; Never Never – Sun-El Musician ft Nobuhle
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