Author: witu

When you meet the owner of Klein Goederust, a boutique wine farm in Franschhoek, you immediately get a sense of someone who loves the land, the vineyards and the produce they create on this quaint estate in one of the most popular tourist destinations in the Western Cape.

Paul Siguqa and his wife Makhosazana, also known as Khosi, are owners of the first 100% black-owned wine farm in Franschhoek.  The couple bought the farm partly because of sentiment, but also as a business opportunity.

Paul grew up on Backberg Wine Estate, not too far from Klein Goederust.  He is the son of a farm laborer who taught him and his sister to reach beyond the farm gates and follow careers that will give them better opportunities in life.  Their mom worked on a farm all her life and she was determined to break the cycle of poverty by teaching her children the value of education.  Paul joined the advertising sales team, working for Media 24 in Cape Town and Gauteng for a number of years before he started his own Communications Company.  “But I always wanted to come back”, says this multi-skilled entrepreneur.

In 2015 he started exploring the possibilities of buying a farm and found this run-down property in the Franchhoek valley.

Klein Goederus is a 10ha farm established in 1905 and Paul and his wife decided to keep the name due to the heritage value it offered, but also to add their own legacy to the history of the farm.  They bought the farm with own funds and invested a significant amount to renovate the property and plant new vineyards.  “We want to compete on an equal footing with similar wine farms”, says Paul.  “Our aim is to produce a 5-star estate with world-class wines” They were fortunate to receive funding from the Western Cape Department of Agriculture to replace their irrigation system and recently received a new tractor to replace the old one they inherited from the previous owners.

To establish a boutique wine estate in these current economic times, with the hovering uncertainty of possible restrictions on wine sales and stricter lockdown levels is not easy, but Paul is determined to make his business a success despite the odds.

The neighbors have been very helpful and Hein Koegelenberg from La Motte Wine Estate just down the road, took up the position as mentor to Paul.  “Hein’s support and sharing of his knowledge and network has been invaluable to me and my team.  We are learning as much as we can about running a wine farm.” Paul also joined Vinpro in 2020 and the SA Wine Industry Transformation (SAWITU) in 2021 as member to increase his network in the organized structures of the wine industry.

Paul’s team predominantly resides in the Franschhoek valley.  His winemaker, Rodney Zimba, grew up with him on Backsberg Wine Estate and the two chefs in the restaurant as well as the waiters and support staff are all locals.

Paul is a man on a mission. “Buying this farm is very significant to us as a family.  We want to change the narrative that children of farm laborers would become the next generation of farm laborers.  We also want to change the narrative that black farmers cannot run successful farming businesses.” The farm will also provide generational wealth to the couple’s son Lunga and daughter Zama.

The Siguqa family bought the farm in 2019 and planted Chenin blanc, Chardonnay, Semilon, Shiraz, Mouverde and Pinot Noir grapes in 2021.  The farm is already producing quality wines from grapes they buy in, and their range currently consist of a Chenin Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot blend, Merlot Rosé, Shiraz, Noble late harvest and MCC Brut, which was named after Paul’s mom, Nomaroma, the matriarch of the family.

The bottles carry the family crest, the Southern Ground Hornbill, a bird firmly perched in African beliefs as a symbol of good fortune and protection.

The wines are served in their renovated tasting room and newly established restaurant, which officially opened on Friday, 3 December 2021.  The restaurant serves a buffet lunch consisting of karoo lamb on a spit, barbequed chicken and a vast selection of delicious complimentary dishes and desserts. The two chefs, aunty Linda and chef Granville, offers a fusion of traditional and modern cooking styles to cater for a vast array of palettes.  “Ons bedien net lekker kos hier (we only serve delicious food here)”, says aunty Linda.  The restaurant is open from Wednesday-Sunday from 11am to 5pm.

Their future plans include their own cellar, but as we suspect, this seasoned entrepreneur will soon surprise the world with the unrevealed plans he has up his sleeve.

End.

Rosemary Mosia, founder and CEO of The Bridge of Hope Wines, never imagined that she would own a wine brand one day.  Coming from a financial and accounting career in a parastatal and corporate environment, she systematically crossed a bridge and transitioned into a new industry she gradually got to know and love.

Discovering the world of wine

Rosemary’s discovery of the world of wine can almost relate to peeling an onion. Every engagement was like a new layer being peeled off to bring her closer to the core of her future business venture.

Her first introduction to wine was through an impromptu invitation by friends in 2001 to accompany them to a wine farm in Stellenbosch.  The whole experience was new to her, but she was intrigued by the beauty and ambience of the surroundings and the culture of wine.

Rosemary’s knowledge in wine was further deepened when she did a research project on the South African wine industry as part of her Master’s Degree in Business Leadership.  Being the thorough person that she is, she read every magazine and publication she could find that had information about wine and the wine industry.

A few years later, another layer was peeled when Rosemary was asked by another friend to attend a Wesgro event on her behalf.  This is where she met Nondumiso Pikashe, owner of Ses’fikile Wines.  Nondumiso took Rosemary under her wing and taught her everything she knew about wine and the wine industry.  Rosemary soon gained international experience when she represented Ses’fikile Wines in China as part of the Western Cape Department of Agriculture delegation and also at a trade show, the Vin Italy in Europe.  Unfortunately, the wines never arrived in Italy and the embassy helped her to get another South African brand to present at the show.  Little did she know that once back in the country, her paths would cross with this wine brand again and would be the last layer to be peeled that would bring Rosemary to the final step to establish her own wine company.

From crunching numbers to bottling wine

Rosemary had a long and successful career in auditing, risk management and financial management at Transnet in Johannesburg before she transferred to Cape Town to manage the coastal regions for Transnet Housing in 2001.  Seven years later, the business unit was sold, and Rosemary was given the option to move back to Johannesburg.  By then, her family was settled in Cape Town and with their twin daughters in matric, they chose to stay, and Rosemary joined the new company.

After a year, she founded her first business, a financial services company called Bridgefin, which she could run from home while transitioning to the establishment of The Bridge of Hope Wines, a company where she creates space for her daughters, Moleboheng and Lebohang to add their expertise in law and hospitality and her son, Mojalefa who manages the local sales and marketing of the brand on a full-time basis.   Rosemary believes that her children should grow with the company and involved them from the beginning.

The brand developed with time

The Bridge of Hope Wines is comprised of three collections: The Classic Collection, The Premium Collection and The Reserve Collection.  The business was mainly self-funded, but in later years Rosemary applied for funding from the SA Wine Industry Transformation Unit (SAWITU) to assist with export marketing.  She travelled to various countries to market their wines and increase their exports.

When traveling was restricted due to the pandemic, they started presenting virtual wine tastings to keep some of the momentum they gained prior to lockdown.  Since the restriction on wine sales reduced income for the brand, funding from SAWITU helped cover operational costs, sending of wine samples for virtual tastings and the acquisition of stock to ensure a sustainable supply of product to customers.

The impact of the Covid pandemic had many unanticipated consequences.  The Bridge of Hope Wines could continue to trade with their existing customers through virtual meetings and tastings, but this method was not as efficient to generate new business.  Before lockdown, they used students to assist with local wine tastings, but with the university’s irregular academic programme, this has become a logistical challenge.

Rosemary is hopeful that they can start traveling again soon to build on their international customer base.  The brand currently exports to Belgium, Russia, Malaysia, DRC, Cameroon, Uganda, Ghana and Ivory Coast and they are in discussions with importers in the USA and Singapore.

An industry for all age groups

With her own children’s involvement in the business, Rosemary realised that young people in general were not aware of the various career options that were available to them.

They started an NPO called The Bridgewell which is funded by Rosemary personally as well as The Bridge of Hope Wines.  The NPO started a wine management programme to teach the youth that are not familiar with wine about wine etiquette, thus, how to open, serve, taste and store wine at home.  They also educate the youth about keeping wine in cellars as an investment and the different career options available to them in the wine industry.

The NPO regularly donate to charities like Council of Churches, Gender Based Violence organisations and the Steve Biko organisation.

Extending the bridge

Rosemary and her children plan to increase their exports to more countries and also increase their local market share in all South African provinces.  They would also like their own wine farm in order to control the production of their wines.

Just as a bridge gives one the opportunity to cross from one place to another, Rosemary and her children crossed from their previous life into the wine industry and plan to keep moving forward towards building a stronger and even more successful family business.

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“The only thing that stands between you and your dream is the will to try and the belief that it is actually possible” (Joel Brown)

These words resemble the journey that Bunty and Wahed Khan embarked on when they decided to make their dream of building their own business, a reality.

The Khan family moved to Cape Town when Wahed was transferred by the company he worked for at the time.  While exploring their new environment, they were captivated by the beauty of the Cape Winelands and the vibrancy of its communities who nurture the vines – this became the inspiration for their own wine brand, Cape Dreams.

“We knew that it was going to take immense dedication and hard work for many years to create an internationally recognized brand but we were committed and with the support our family, believed that it was possible”.

Their vision was to develop and grow the Cape Dreams brand to be synonymous with wines of superb quality with a compelling value offering that was appealing to both the emerging and established wine markets.

The early years

Bunty initially started the business and built a firm foundation based on sound principles until it was possible for Wahed to join full time.  She thoroughly researched the wine industry, which was unknown to them at the time.  Together they drew up a comprehensive and strategic plan supported with a solid company structure before taking their brand to market.  As the local market proved to be much more difficult than they anticipated, they turned their focus to international trade from the outset.  Bunty had to travel extensively and frequently to source new markets.  “Balancing family- and work life became challenging, but we made it work.”

They invested their own funds to set up the business and launch their brand.  Marketing efforts were later increased by participating in export promotion programmes offered by the various industry bodies such as Wesgro, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), WOSA (Wines of South Africa) and later support from the South African Wine Industry Transformation Unit (SAWITU) became available. Over the years Bunty collectively travelled to Russia, Germany, China, Nigeria, India, USA, Italy, the Netherlands, Sri Lanka and the UK to introduce their wines and establish new markets.

Bunty remembers her first trade show at Prowein Germany “It was overwhelming to attend a show of this size.  We were placed amongst South African brands that were big names in the industry, but I remembered the faith my family and parents had in me, and it gave me courage to push through”

The dream takes flight

Over time, Bunty gained an in-depth knowledge of the markets they operate in and started to build strong relations with international retailers and importers.  Their dream could eventually take flight!  Since initially exporting 5 containers in 2010,  they have increased exports to over 20 countries to date.  Part of their success is working as a synergistic unit and sharing the responsibilities as a cross-functional team with a common purpose.

Cape Dreams produces nine varietals in their portfolio. These include a Pinotage Rosé, four white wines which are Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Colombar as well as four reds, which are Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, Merlot and Pinotage.

The Khan’s continuously plough back into their company to ensure longevity and help build the South African economy.  They both believe that we all have a responsibility to help our country grow.

Their passion for their product, country and continent is clearly evident through their wine label, which is a boundary map of Africa containing a poetic description of the beautiful environment their wines are sourced from and produced in.

Adapting to a new environment

Sadly, Bunty’s international travels came to an abrupt halt when the Covid-19 pandemic hit the world in 2019/20 and travelling to most countries was restricted.  The pandemic changed the dynamics of trading, but this resilient and well-grounded team refuses to be deterred by it.

Keeping to their core business strategy, the impact of Covid however necessitated the realignment of their marketing plan.  This includes the development of an online sales facility as a support base for growth in the local market.

They also had to adapt to changing regulations in their existing markets and find ways to absorb the increased shipping tariffs for exporting their wines.

Bunty believes in personal attention and physical presence when it comes to trading with clients and is hopeful to resume her travels again soon to gain back the momentum they had.

Taking their dream into the future

Building a business in an industry they weren’t born into or worked in before, was challenging at first, but for Bunty and Wahed it is passion and determination that  are the key ingredients of success no matter what industry it is.  They learnt a lot and made mistakes but always remained focussed on their long-term goals and stuck to it.  Even through the toughest times, quitting was never an option.  “When we start something, we finish it”, says Bunty.  “This is also what we teach our sons.”   They acknowledge with gratitude the organisations like the DTI, WOSA, WESGRO, Department of Agriculture and especially SAWITU for their support over the last few years.

Although Cape Dreams has a credible and established platform for future growth, it is relatively ‘young’ in an over 350-year wine industry. Bunty and Wahed are building a solid business and a lasting legacy to leave to their sons one day, who will ensure generational continuity of the brand and the dream they passionately nurtured and grew as a family.

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M’hudi Boutique Family Wines is a very personal journey for the Rangaka family who risked everything to chase their cherished dream of owning a farm.

For Diale and Malmsey Rangaka, owners of M’hudi Wines, their family is the heart and soul of their business.  At the time when they moved to the Western Cape from the North West Province, the Rangaka children were all studying in different parts of the country and the farm was the place they could all be together as a family.

Starting from scratch

After looking at several farms in different provinces, Malmsey found a farm in Stellenbosch on the internet in 2002.  “It was the cheapest on the market, so we came down to have a look.” But once they saw it, they knew this would be the place they would call their new home.

The couple applied for LRAD (Land Redistribution for Agricultural Development) funds, but in the final stages of purchasing the farm, they were informed there were no funds available.  Already committing their minds and hearts to this farm, Diale and Malmsey sold their properties in the North West and applied through the Land Bank for a loan to buy the farm.

“At first, we didn’t think of making wine, but once we made the decision, there was no turning back”, says Malmsey.  The farm had guava trees and old vines that needed to be replaced in phases due to the cost involved.  To speed up the process, M’hudi applied for funding from the SA Wine Industry Transformation Unit (SAWITU) in 2020 to plant new vines and SAWITU also assisted them to apply for Hortfin funds, which they are hopeful to get approved.

They pooled their expertise

The Rangaka’s are an accomplished family. Mom Malmsey, the matriarch and life force of M’hudi, is a clinical psychologist who worked for a government department at the time they bought the farm.  She is currently the CEO of the company.  Dad Diale, head of the family and a professor in tertiary education at the University of the North West and the University of Johannesburg, left a successful career to join Malmsey full time on the farm in 2004.  He lives out his love for the outdoors and farming amongst the orchards and vineyards on the farm and also manages their exports.

Their eldest son, Tsêliso is qualified in advertising and an experienced journalist who wrote for several wine publications, including wine.co.za, Winescape and the John Platter Guide.  He spent eight years on the farm developing the brand before he went back to advertising.  He still oversees the branding and represents the M’hudi brand in Gauteng. His wife Vanessa helps with business strategy and financial advice.

The youngest son, Senyane, is a filmmaker who achieved top honours for a short film in the Cannes Film Festival.  He is responsible for the marketing material and product development and is working full time on the farm.  His wife Rae-Leigh also works full-time at the farm managing the tasting room and events.

Lebogang, the Rangaka’s only daughter studied Human Resources and completed her MBA at Stellenbosch University.  She works full-time in the corporate world and part-time in the family business, establishing the M’hudi brand in the local market.   “I was trained in wine retail by professionals from the British retailer Marks & Spencer” says Lebogang “and intent to go back to working in the family business full time again in future”.

 The ups and downs of building a brand

M’hudi made their first wines in 2005 and made a name for itself overseas before it started to make a mark in South Africa.  With annual grant funding from SAWITU since 2017, the Rangaka’s could steadily grow their business.   The M’hudi brand had exclusive rights at British retail giant Marks & Spencer in the United Kingdom.  They also exported to the US, Germany, Switzerland, Sweden and Nigeria.

Their attendance at wine trade fairs in China, Moscow and Ghana and participation at the tasting at the embassy in Denmark expanded their trade and export possibilities.  The brand also participated at Tops at Spar shows in Port Elizabeth, Cape Town and Nelspruit.  All these were supported and funded by SAWITU to assist the brand in growing market share.

“Things went very well, until Covid hit us”, says Malmsey.  “The initial ban on wine exports was a game changer for us.  Our business was dependent on exports and due to the ban, our wines were stuck in the port for three months.”

M’hudi lost most of their existing markets and new orders for the Scandinavian countries and China were haltered.

The repetitive and prolonged ban on local sales put further pressure on the business and they were forced to reduce their permanent labour from eight to three people.  The Covid-relief funds from SAWITU helped to keep the remaining workers employed.

Loosing key markets was a devastating blow for the business, but the Rangaka’s don’t give up so easily.  They got to work and gained Botswana and Holland recently and are making plan to manage their risks.

Changing course

Malmsey’s formidable nature does not allow her to wallow in what “could have been”.  Having the foresight she is known for, she is already making plans to build a cellar on the farm.  “A large percentage of wine sales happens at the cellar.  We also need this to expand our wine tourism offer.”  Under Malmsey’s leadership, M’hudi received the Emerging Tourism Entrepreneur of the Year Award in 2010.

In 2019 they partially renovated the old tasting room, which was previously a tractor room, with funds from SAWITU.  The farm can now host functions and small weddings in the venue.  “We are fortunate that the building has a solid structure and although we still need more renovations, we are happy with what we could accomplish so far.”

Building a lasting legacy

The Rangaka’s are seen as pioneers as they are told to be the first black-owned wine tourism family farm in Stellenbosch.  They’ve created a space for their children to feel at home and are very happy that their six grandchildren can grow up on the farm.

Tsêliso, Senyane, Lebogang and their spouses are growing with the farm, each in their respective fields of expertise, and will teach their children about the wine business and prepare them to take over the baton from their parents and grandparents.

End.

While riding the tidal wave of everyday work life, we seldom get to know one another a little better.  During #WomensMonth, Wendy Petersen lifts the curtain for a sneak peek into her life and journey in the wine industry. 

Wendy has been instrumental in the sustainable growth and development of black-owned brands and -farms in the wine industry since her appointment as Transformation Operations Manager of the SA Wine Industry Transformation Unit (SAWITU) in February 2019.

Transformation programmes have gained momentum under her leadership and with her technical and marketing experience and her love for mentoring, she helps wine entrepreneurs in various aspects of their businesses.  “I love the space I’m working in, enabling small enterprises to develop.  It’s as if all the pieces of my career puzzle are falling into place with my current position.”

Wendy’s career in the wine industry dates back to 1993, when she started working as laboratory technologist for Monis, a division of the previous Stellenbosch Farmers Winery, in Paarl.  At the time, positions like these were just opening up for people of colour.  In 1997 she was promoted to the head office in Stellenbosch as part of a small expert group doing innovation and product development on some of South Africa’s most successful alcoholic brands such as Amarula Cream Liqueur, Bainskloof Whisky, Hunters range, Savanna, Vawter, Esprit, to mention a few. Wendy’s career development is based on obtaining various qualifications in product development, packaging technology and also project management.

After a brief period at KWV, Wendy was offered the position as Group Manager for New Product Development at Distell in 2005.  She also worked at DGB as Product Development Manager for almost seven years from 2009.

After completing her BComm Marketing degree in 2017, Wendy wanted to expand her marketing experience and joined Wines of South Africa (WOSA) in the position as Manager of International Projects.  This strategic career move gave her in-depth knowledge of wine brands and international shows and events, which included ProWein and CapeWine.

Throughout her career, and especially as a young woman, Wendy was fortunate to have gained valuable experience from a few strong value-based white male role models in the wine industry, who encouraged her throughout her career development and was very open to share their knowledge.

However, the women she admires most in the industry is Joyene Isaacs, former Head of Department of the Western Cape Department of Agriculture and now Chairperson of the Agricultural Marketing Council.  “I like Joyene’s leadership style and the fact that she’s direct, honest, very loyal and most importantly, that her word is her honour.  These are characteristics that I completely relate to and also reflect in my personal and business life.”

Wendy enjoys a wide range of alcoholic beverages, depending on the occasion, the cuisine or her mood at a particular point in time, but her wine preference is a good Cab Franc, Chardonnay, or Petit Sirah, which she gladly shares with her most favourite person, her husband Stewart.  “Pairing the right wine or drink with the right food gives us so much pleasure and creates many special moments for Stewart and me.”

The two also share a love for wine tourism experiences. “We are blessed to live within 30 minutes of the most beautiful wine regions, Stellenbosch, Franschhoek, Wellington and of course Paarl, which is right on our doorstep.”  But they also gladly venture further to the Hemel-en-Aarde and Elgin Valley regions, as well as Robertson and the Swartland, depending on their adventurous mood. “We appreciate every wine region for what it is and what each one unique offering is”

Wendy is a doer and nurturer by nature, and instead of words to live by, she lives by actions, which is handling all people, no matter who they are and where they come from, with respect and dignity.  She believes that living with your values, morals and faith every day and in all aspects of your life, forms the basis in which good decisions can be made.  “These are also the values that Stewart and I instil in our children, Sydney and Storm”.

End.