Karoo Classics: The Reinvention of a Stellenbosch Family Business During a Crisis

Karoo Classics: The Reinvention of a Stellenbosch Family Business During a Crisis. Some businesses are built through years of steady growth. Others are forced to prove their resilience when circumstances suddenly change. Karoo Classics belongs to the second story. Established 20 years ago by the Biggs family in Stellenbosch, the Western Cape winelands town, the business operated as a family enterprise until April 2020. Then the COVID-19 crisis forced the family to close the business.

What could have marked the end of Karoo Classics instead became a turning point.

Wilbar Robberts, who had served as General Manager since 2015, and business partner Norton Kingwill decided to buy the business from the Biggs family. On 1 August 2020, they launched what they described as the “new” Karoo Classics.

That transition offers entrepreneurs an unusually clear lesson in business resilience. A company does not always have to start from zero when circumstances change. Sometimes, the opportunity lies in taking an established foundation and finding a way to rebuild it.

Recognising Opportunity When the Original Business Was Closing

The first major lesson from Karoo Classics is closely tied to timing.

The business had been operating for two decades when the COVID-19 crisis led the Biggs family to close it in April 2020. Robberts had already been involved with the company as General Manager since 2015, giving him several years of experience inside the business before the transition.

Rather than simply walking away when the existing business closed, Robberts and Kingwill elected to buy it.

The decision transformed a difficult situation into an entrepreneurial opportunity.

For aspiring business owners, the lesson is to look beyond the immediate problem. A business facing closure may still possess valuable foundations, including experience, products, locations and customer recognition.

The opportunity is not always to preserve everything exactly as it was. Sometimes it is to identify what is worth carrying forward and build a new chapter around it.

Preserve What Works While Creating Something New

The relaunch of Karoo Classics on 1 August 2020 was described as the launch of the “new” Karoo Classics.

That wording captures an important business principle.

The new owners did not need to erase the company’s history. The business already had 20 years behind it. Instead, the acquisition created an opportunity to combine that existing foundation with new ownership.

For entrepreneurs taking over an existing business, this can be particularly valuable.

Customers may recognise the name, while the new owners bring their own energy, decisions and direction.

The lesson is to understand what gives an established business its identity before making changes. Reinvention works best when it builds on genuine strengths rather than discarding everything that came before.

Build Around a Distinctive Product Category

Karoo Classics has developed a particularly strong product focus.

The business says it carries the world’s largest selection of exclusive ostrich leather and mohair products. Its stores also carry crocodile leather, exotic skins, plain leather and hair-on products.

This broad range sits within a clearly defined world of specialist materials.

That provides a useful lesson in positioning.

A business can offer variety while still being recognisable for something specific. Karoo Classics is not simply presented as a general retailer. Its product selection gives it a clear association with leather, mohair and exotic materials.

For entrepreneurs, the lesson is to identify the category or capability customers should associate with your business.

The objective is not necessarily to sell only one type of product. It is to make sure the overall range has a recognisable logic.

Location Can Strengthen a Brand

Karoo Classics operates from two outlets in the Western Cape.

Its Flagship Store is located on Church Street in Stellenbosch, while another outlet is located on Hugenote Street in Franschhoek.

Both locations place the business within well-known Western Cape winelands towns.

For entrepreneurs, physical location can be more than an operational decision. It can contribute to the context in which customers experience a brand.

A specialist retail business can benefit when its surroundings complement the type of product and experience it wants to offer.

The important lesson is to understand the relationship between location and positioning. A physical store is not simply a place where transactions happen. It is part of how customers encounter the business.

Experience Can Become an Entrepreneurial Asset

Robberts’ journey also provides a lesson about industry knowledge.

Before becoming an owner, he had served as General Manager of Karoo Classics since 2015. That meant his decision to acquire the company followed years of direct experience within the business.

This is different from entering an unfamiliar industry without understanding its operations.

For entrepreneurs, expertise can reduce some of the uncertainty involved in taking a business forward.

Experience does not guarantee success, but familiarity with the products, operations and challenges of an industry can provide a stronger foundation for decision-making.

The Karoo Classics transition shows why employees with deep operational knowledge can sometimes recognise opportunities that outsiders might overlook.

Turn a Crisis Into a New Chapter

The most important turning point in the Karoo Classics story came during an extraordinary period.

The COVID-19 crisis led the original family owners to close the business in April 2020. Four months later, the business returned under new ownership.

That timeline demonstrates the value of decisive action when circumstances create uncertainty.

Robberts and Kingwill did not simply wait for conditions to become easier. They made the decision to acquire the business and relaunched it on 1 August 2020.

For entrepreneurs, the lesson is not to act recklessly during a crisis. It is to assess opportunities carefully and understand whether a difficult situation has created an opening that did not previously exist.

Sometimes the greatest entrepreneurial decisions emerge from periods when conventional plans no longer work.

Use Heritage Without Becoming Stuck in the Past

Karoo Classics had already accumulated 20 years of history before its 2020 transition.

That heritage gives the business something that a newly created company cannot immediately manufacture: a longer operating history.

Yet the relaunch demonstrates that heritage does not have to mean standing still.

The business could carry its established identity into a new ownership chapter while continuing to operate with a distinct product offering and two outlets.

For entrepreneurs, the lesson is to treat history as an asset, not a limitation.

A company’s past can provide credibility and context, while new ownership or leadership can introduce fresh thinking.

The Bigger Lesson Behind Karoo Classics

The story of Karoo Classics is ultimately a story about reinvention.

A family business established two decades earlier faced closure during the COVID-19 crisis. Instead of disappearing, the business was acquired by Wilbar Robberts and Norton Kingwill, with Robberts bringing his experience as General Manager since 2015.

The new owners relaunched Karoo Classics on 1 August 2020.

Today, the business operates from its Flagship Store on Church Street in Stellenbosch and another outlet on Hugenote Street in Franschhoek. Its product range is centred on ostrich leather and mohair, alongside crocodile leather, exotic skins, plain leather and hair-on products.

For aspiring entrepreneurs, the lessons are clear. Look for opportunity inside difficult circumstances. Build on existing strengths when taking over an established business. Use specialist products to create a recognisable position. Treat industry experience as an asset. And remember that reinvention does not require abandoning everything that came before.