Dr. Johann Peter Rupert
Dr. Rupert was born 1 June 1950. He is the eldest son of the late Dr. Anton Rupert who was a legend in South African commerce. Dr. Rupert has not remained in the shadow of his father legacy but has strived to create his own.
Growing up in Stellenbosch, he attended Paul Roos Gymnasium and then enrolled at the University of Stellenbosch to study Company Law and Economics. He left his university course uncompleted and went to do a business apprenticeship in New York for five years.
He returned to South Africa in 1979 and founded Rand Merchant Bank and started the Small Business Development Corporation which has subsequently helped to create 500 000 jobs.
Dr Rupert founded, merged and restructured various leading companies, and served in a leadership capacity in several institutions, ranging from the Suid-Afrikaanse Akademie vir Wetenskap en Kuns to the Daimler Chrysler International Advisory Board and Gold Fields South Africa.
In 1984 he successfully presided over a merger between RMB and Rand Consolidated Investments before joining his father's Rembrandt Group, of which he later became chairman. In 1988 he formed the Swiss-based luxury goods company Richemont, followed in 2000 by venture capital companies Remgro and Venfin.
Dr. Rupert was bestowed two honorary doctorate degrees. One by Stellenbosch University in 2004 in the field of Economics and the other by the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University in 2008 in the field of Commerce. He has also been awarded the Wits Business School's Management Excellence Award in 2009.
In 2009, he was elected Chancellor of Stellenbosch University which is another role for him to play in the shaping of South Africa.
Dr Rupert is also the co-founder of the Sports Science Institute at the University of Cape Town. He also played an instrumental role in the establishment of the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation, which funds 65 projects globally, and benefits underprivileged children. He also serves as chairman of the South African PGA Tour and the South African Golf Development Board.
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Page last updated 26 January 2010
