How Old School is Building One of South Africa’s Most Loved Brands

3 Min Read

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Old School.

What began as a student-founded brand in the heart of Stellenbosch has picked up Cheslin Kolbe-level pace over the years, and today sits comfortably among South Africa’s standout lifestyle brands, alongside names like Burnt and Plato.

So how did a dorm-room idea turn into a brand people genuinely love wearing?

🧠 Fun Fact:
In Japan, you can buy almost anything from a vending machine—including live crabs, flying drones, and even full business suits.

Weaponised Nostalgia

The business was born from a simple frustration: the absence of authentic, old-school rugby jerseys. That origin story still lives in the designs today. Every product leans deliberately into heritage aesthetics, timeless silhouettes, and familiar colourways that feel emotionally familiar.

What Old School is actually selling is identity. Pride in your team. Pride in your country. Pride in shared sporting moments that transcend generations. Pride in something bigger than yourself. The jersey simply becomes the physical container for that emotion.

This plays exceptionally well in a South African context. We are a country that complains loudly about government failures, yet rallies fiercely around national identity and sport. From Springbok Test matches to Orlando Pirates derbies, sport remains one of the few unifying forces that consistently cuts across culture, class, and geography.

So it’s safe to say, they achieved-product market fit.

Owning a Unique Narrative

Old School wasn’t born in a boardroom. It was born in a Stellenbosch dorm room, likely cluttered with dirty laundry, unwashed dishes, and a few empty beer bottles. Classic student life. That detail matters, because it makes the brand instantly human.

This origin story strips away corporate polish and positions the brand as something built by people who are just like their earliest customers.

Even more importantly is the founders’ openness to share this story and use it as a lever to appeal to the modern consumer, who more often than not buys into the founder more than anything especially at a microcosmic level.

Turning Community into a Distribution Channel

South African schools are notoriously tribal. Few things generate as much pride as wearing your school colours, especially at the country’s major rugby schools where identity, tradition, and legacy run deep long after matric.

When Old School began rolling out product lines tied to prominent schools, the outcome was almost inevitable: demand followed immediately.

Once again, the brand anchored itself in emotional capital. Alumni don’t just support a school, they carry it as part of their identity well into adulthood. Old School understood that this pride was under-served in the lifestyle apparel market and moved quickly to fill the gap.

What looks, on the surface, like a simple cotton jersey is actually a vehicle for memory, belonging, and status. By packaging that emotion into a well-designed, wearable product, Old School unlocked a niche that many would have dismissed as too small or too sentimental to scale.

And let’s be honest, if Steve, Joe, Jack and John from school have the school jersey… you’re probably going to feel left out and follow suit.

From Unofficial to Institutional Validation

One of Old School’s most overlooked advantages was the order in which legitimacy arrived.

The brand didn’t start with official endorsements, licensing deals, or institutional backing. It started with people wearing the product anyway. Demand was built at a grassroots level, driven by genuine affinity rather than formal approval.

Only later did institutions begin to follow the crowd.

That progression matters. It shows how cultural relevance can precede corporate validation. By the time Old School engaged with schools, teams, and larger sporting bodies, the brand already carried proof of demand. The institution wasn’t creating credibility, it was acknowledging it.

That sequence is powerful. Build the audience first, and the gatekeepers eventually open the door.

Lifestyle Over Merchandise

Old School’s positioning works because it never boxed itself in as a sports merchandise brand.

These aren’t jerseys designed only for match day. They’re built to be worn to lectures, braais, flights, and coffee runs. Sport is the anchor, but lifestyle is the destination.

That distinction explains why Old School competes more naturally with brands like FOM than official replica kits. The product isn’t tied to a season, a sponsor refresh, or a fixture list. It’s designed to live beyond the final whistle.

By shifting from merchandise to lifestyle, Old School future-proofed the brand and expanded its relevance far beyond sport itself.

Powerful Partnerships

The partnership with Dricus du Plessis was about alignment. Dricus embodied everything the brand stood for, grit, authenticity, national pride, and an underdog mentality that resonates deeply with South Africans.

Crucially, Old School partnered early. Before championship belts and global headlines, they backed the athlete on the belief that his journey and their brand story could grow in parallel. That timing mattered. As Dricus rose, so did the brand.

The partnership extended Old School beyond rugby, introduced the brand to new audiences, and reinforced its positioning as a proudly South African lifestyle brand rooted in performance and perseverance.

It’s a reminder that the most effective partnerships are built on shared trajectories, not borrowed fame.

The Bottom Line

Old School scaled by earning relevance.

Nostalgia anchored the brand, founder-led storytelling built trust, and community-driven distribution created demand before institutions ever got involved. Strategic partnerships, most notably with Dricus du Plessis, amplified the narrative rather than distracting from it, while a deliberate shift from merchandise to lifestyle future-proofed the brand.

The common thread is simple: Old School placed itself where identity already existed and let culture do the heavy lifting.

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