Springbok debut
There has always been something of a magical quality about Kolisi's ability to lead the Springboks through adversity and the first evidence of that came in his debut for South Africa in 2013.
He began the Test match against Scotland on the bench but was quickly called into action in just the fourth minute after Arno Botha was forced off the field with an injury.
Many would have forgiven the then 22-year-old for a slow start or even a poor performance given the circumstances but, instead, Kolisi shone like the star that he is and walked away with the Man of the Match award.
Becoming captain
On 28 May 2018, head coach Rassie Erasmus named Siya Kolisi captain of the Springboks which was only a huge moment for the player himself but for the whole of South Africa.
Kolisi became the first black player to captain the South African national rugby team in the 133-year history of the side, which was even more significant given the political history of South Africa as a country that was still recovering from the legacy of apartheid.
As with so much of his career, Kolisi's tenure as South African captain began well, they won his first match in charge against Wales in a thrilling 42-39 encounter and went on to win the series 2-1.
Winning in Wellington
A match that marked a real turning point in the history of Springbok rugby was South Africa's dramatic 36-34 win over New Zealand in Wellington in the Rugby Championship.
It was the first time South Africa had ever won at the Westpac Stadium and the first time they had beaten the All Blacks in New Zealand since 2009. It was also the first time New Zealand had conceded 36 points on home soil.
It was significant for the Springboks because it marked the culmination of an incredible turnaround in fortunes from just a year or so before when they suffered a record 57-0 defeat to New Zealand.
For Kolisi, as skipper, it placed him among an elite list of a select few South African captains to have beaten the All Blacks on home soil.
First World Cup win
At the start of the 2019 Rugby World Cup, no one was considering South Africa as a contender. Despite their heroics against New Zealand in the Rugby Championship, their poor form in the years before was still at the forefront of everyone's minds.
This frame of mind was reinforced when the Springboks were comfortably beaten by New Zealand in their opening match of the competition.
However, their determination eventually shone through and they stunned the world by eventually lifting the William Web Ellis Trophy after beating England 32-12 in the final.
Not only was it an incredible achievement for the team given where they had been 18 months before, it was a huge step for Kolisi as South Africa's first black captain and an enormous moment for the whole country.
Second World Cup win
History will say that South Africa won consecutive Rugby World Cups in 2019 and 2023 and became the dominant force in World Rugby but the details tell a much more intricate story - one where leadership needed to play a massive role.
Even though winning the 2023 Rugby World Cup made South Africa the most successful team in the tournament's history with four wins - overtaking New Zealand's three - they were forced to do it the hard way.
Similar to the 2019 event, the Springboks weren't able to emerge from the group stage unscathed and suffered defeat to Ireland in their third match of the competition.
However, they would go on to beat hosts France in the quarter-final, England in the semi-final and New Zealand in the final all by a single point in an unbelievable showing of grit and determination.
In that kind of environment, strong leadership is crucial and there is no doubt about the role Kolisi and Erasmus played in keeping the team's eye on the prize.
And Kolisi nearly didn't even go to the tournament.
Just five months before the start of the Rugby World Cup, Kolisi suffered a serious knee injury while playing for the Sale Sharks in the United Rugby Championship.
He was ruled out for between six to nine months but managed to make a miraculous comeback in just four months to be able to lead the Springboks at the Rugby World Cup.
