The legendary Springbok, called the ‘Rolls-Royce of Fullbacks’, who became a telecommunications and IT entrepreneur

Former World Cup-winning Springbok André Johan Joubert is the co-founder and owner of office automation and telecommunications company 3C Technology.

The three-decade-old firm has stood the test of time despite initially being established as a backup plan for when Joubert’s rugby-playing days were over.

Joubert was born in Ladysmith in KwaZulu-Natal on 15 April 1964. After matriculating in 1981, he pursued a Bachelor of Commerce degree at the University of the Free State.

While a student, he made his debut for the Free State provincial rugby team in 1986. He would go on to play 93 Currie Cup matches for the province.

During this period, he also had to complete two years of compulsory military training at the School of Armour in Bloemfontein.

Joubert moved to Durban in 1991 and worked in banking for four years. At that point, he had already played his first match for the Springboks.

He would go on to feature in the victorious 1995 Rugby World Cup team, including in the final against the All Blacks.

Joubert played an instrumental role in the match, despite having picked up a broken hand in the quarter-final against Western Samoa.

The year after the historic victory, Joubert and Steve Cooper co-founded KZN Konica Minolta as a distributor and servicing provider for the printing company.

In an interview with the YouTube channel Front Row Rugby, Joubert explained that the business emerged as a backup plan for when he could no longer play rugby.

At that time, rugby in South Africa was still transitioning from amateur to semi-professional careers, with many players still having other full-time jobs.

Joubert explained he had to resign from his banking job because he could no longer put in the required hours. This was a considerable risk, as a serious injury could have cost him his earnings.

“That’s why I started my own business. I realised I have got to start something now so that the day when it finished, I had something to fall back on,” Joubert said.

Expanding beyond printers

KZN Konica Minolta would later be rebranded to 3C Technology as its product offering expanded to include voice, WAN, IP PBX, voice conferencing, and hosting solutions.

In addition to Konica Minolta, it distributes products from major technology companies, including Microsoft, Dell, HP, and Yealink.

According to its website, the company operates 70 service centres, 412 qualified service engineers, and 10,000 users across South Africa.

As a rugby player, Joubert is fondly remembered as “The Rolls-Royce of Fullbacks” for his seemingly effortless style and pace.

YouTube channel Real Rugby described Joubert as “safe as a rock” under the high ball with a “highly educated” left booth and an ability to join an attacking line.

He played 34 matches for the Springboks during the 1990s. He amassed 115 test points, coming off 10 tries, 17 penalties, and seven conversions.

Joubert played his last match for the Springboks in a 61-22 win against Australia’s Wallabies in 1997. His last provincial match for the Sharks was in 1999, after 96 Currie Cup caps.

Joubert also captained the South African Sevens team in 1992 and featured in several Barbarians and World XV teams.

While he may be best known for his rugby career, Joubert is also fond of golf. On his LinkedIn page, he mentions having hit six hole-in-ones as among his proudest achievements.

Joubert has also participated in various charity fund-raising activities, including several golf days and jersey auctions with proceeds going to charitable causes.