Rob Hersov
| Rob Hersov | |
|---|---|
 Rob Hersov.jpg Rob Hersov, South African entrepreneur, investor, and media figure | |
| Born | Robert Basil Hersov Johannesburg, South Africa |
| 🏳️ Nationality | South African |
| 🏫 Education | University of Cape Town, Harvard Business School |
| 💼 Occupation | Entrepreneur, Investor |
| Known for | Invest Africa, Cape Winelands Airport, Africa Padel |
| 👩 Spouse(s) | Kate James Hersov |
| 👶 Children | 4 |
Robert Basil Hersov is a South African entrepreneur, investor, and business executive. He has held senior roles at international corporations including Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, News Corporation, and Richemont. He is known for founding Invest Africa, launching the Cape Winelands Airport project, and for media commentary on political and economic developments in South Africa.
Early life and education
Hersov was born in Johannesburg. His grandfather, Bob Hersov, founded the mining company Anglovaal, and his father, Basil Hersov, ran the group until 2001.[1] He attended Ridge Preparatory School and Michaelhouse, and earned a Bachelor of Business Science at the University of Cape Town in 1982. He completed his MBA at Harvard Business School in 1989.
Career
Hersov began his career at Goldman Sachs in New York. From 1989 to 1991, he worked at News Corporation under Rupert Murdoch.
He went on to head European media investment banking at Morgan Stanley in London and later served on the board of Richemont.[2] He also served as chief executive of Telepiù, Italy’s largest pay-TV network, where he oversaw the company’s investment in Serie A football broadcasting rights and subscriber growth.[3]
In 1998, Hersov founded the digital sports media platform Sportal. Backed by investors such as Paul Allen, Bernard Arnault, and Silvio Berlusconi, Sportal at one point was valued at £117 million and produced digital content for international teams including Bayern Munich and AC Milan. The company ultimately collapsed during the dot-com bust in 2001 and was sold for £1.[4]
In 2002, he co-founded Marquis Jet Europe, offering fractional private jet ownership. The business was acquired in 2010 by NetJets, a Berkshire Hathaway company.[5] Hersov served as vice-chairman of NetJets Europe.
In 2008, he acquired a 15.4% stake in Air Berlin, briefly becoming its largest shareholder.[6]
In 2013, Hersov founded Invest Africa, a platform linking African business opportunities with global investors.[7] [8]
Projects and ventures
In 2020, Hersov acquired Fisantekraal Airfield near Cape Town and began developing it into Cape Winelands Airport, a multibillion-rand project intended as a secondary airport for the city.[9] [10]
He has also been involved in:
- Africa Padel – a growing franchise of padel tennis clubs in South Africa and Europe[11]
- African Gold Acquisition Corporation – a $360 million SPAC focused on African mining[12]
- AltCap Invest and African Capital Investments – regional capital firms in Africa[13]
Media and commentary
Hersov has appeared in publications such as Forbes Afrique,[14] the Financial Times,[15] and the Wall Street Journal.[3]
He was interviewed on The Rubin Report in 2025 regarding corruption and governance in South Africa. A clip from the interview went viral after being retweeted by Elon Musk.[16][17]
In 2025, he launched Truth Report [18], a conservative media platform inspired by The Daily Wire.
Controversies
In 2023, comments made by Hersov regarding ANC leadership and global politics resulted in boycott threats against Africa Padel.[19]
Personal life
Hersov was previously married to fashion editor Kim Hersov. He is currently married to Dr. Kate James Hersov, co-founder of JumoHealth. He lives in Cape Town and has four children.
He voiced a minor character in the animated film Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009).[20]
External links
References
- ↑ BizNews (4 October 2021). "Rob Hersov: The hero South Africa needs?". Retrieved 9 April 2025.
- ↑ "Richemont Company Announcement, 16 March 1995" (PDF). Retrieved 10 April 2025.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Sturani, Maria; Rohwedder, Cacilie (4 September 1996). "Italy's Telepiu Aims To Score With Soccer". The Wall Street Journal.
- ↑ Tryhorn, Chris (1 November 2001). "Sportal collapses with loss of 230 jobs". The Guardian.
- ↑ "Berkshire's NetJets buys Marquis Jet". Reuters. 3 November 2010.
- ↑ "With business in his blood, Hersov takes to the skies". IOL. Retrieved 9 April 2025.
- ↑ "Rob Hersov – CEO of Invest Africa". Embassy Direct. 27 February 2019. Retrieved 9 April 2025.
- ↑ "Africa: Now is the time to invest". Moneyweb. 1 May 2022.
- ↑ "Cape Winelands Airport aims to receive first passengers in 2027". Engineering News. 22 January 2024.
- ↑ "Milliardär plant neuen Flughafen für Kapstadt". Aerotelegraph. 13 March 2021.
- ↑ "Africa Padel". Retrieved 10 April 2025.
- ↑ "African Gold Acquisition Corporation Announces IPO". Nasdaq. 26 February 2021.
- ↑ "AltCap Invest". Retrieved 10 April 2025.
- ↑ "Robert Hersov: The Wisdom of a Master of Business in Africa". Forbes Afrique (in français). June 2017. Retrieved 10 April 2025. – see confirmation by Invest Africa via X: Tweet, 2 June 2017
- ↑ "Consortium plans rescue bid for Petropavlovsk". Financial Times. 4 November 2014.
- ↑ "South Africa's Collapse Finally Exposed – Rob Hersov on Rubin Report". YouTube. 6 March 2025. Retrieved 10 April 2025.
- ↑ "Tweet by Elon Musk". X (Twitter).
- ↑ "Truth Report South Africa". Retrieved 10 April 2025.
- ↑ "'F*** these guys': Africa Padel club threatened with boycotts". News24. 15 November 2023.
- ↑ "Rob Hersov – IMDb". IMDb. Retrieved 10 April 2025.
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- CS1 français-language sources (fr)
- 1960 births
- South African businesspeople
- Harvard Business School alumni
- University of Cape Town alumni
- People from Johannesburg
- South African investors
- South African company founders
- Venture capitalists
- Media executives
- South African political commentators
- Businesspeople in sport
- South African media personalities
