Black female entrepreneurs in SA are bringing groundbreaking aesthetic in the wine industry while also fighting for black heritage and economic recognition in the wine scenery.
Although black-owned wine brands are gradually increasing, there are still challenges that hinder transformation and brand recognition such as race issues and male dominance, including the recent outcry by black women who marched to parliament to protest against economic exclusion and demand action from agriculture, land reform and rural development minister Thoko Didiza.
Phil Bowes, a manager at Vinpro, a company that represents SA wine grape producers, cellars and wine-related business, said limited customer acceptance was the reason why black wine brands are not reaching their full potential. Bowes said more heritage and stories behind black wine brands need to be told for those brands to grow.
“Customer acceptance is limited. Provenance needs to be developed. Black brands often feel that the industry could do more to grow this.
“What is provenance? Consider other high-end products such as pizza and sushi. Retailers often employ people of Asian descent to prepare sushi in plain view of customers. Pizza is often seen as high-end if there is an Italian connection to the brand, style or the chain. This, of course, does not mean that black people can’t start a sushi or a pizza business,” Bowes said.
Award-winning Sesfikile wines brand CEO Nondumiso Pikashe said black participation in the wine industry is hampered by the lack of education and exposure to opportunities available in the industry.
“The problem is two-fold, one sits at the level of education. It is exposure to the world of wine and the opportunities therein. The other is ownership of means of production by blacks, there is none of the above.”
Pikashe said she was collaborating with the University of Stellenbosch and high schools in Gugulethu in the Western Cape to educate and invite young people to consider careers in the wine industry .
Vivian Kleynhans, CEO of African Roots Wine Brands that sells the brand Seven Sisters and a business pioneer for black wine in the industry, said wine has long been in the veins of black heritage.
“The wine industry is part of our black heritage for as long as it exists. It is our forefathers and mothers who were tending to the vineyards and we still do. That is why we are adamant to bring change and enjoy the benefits it brings. We are currently in conversation with the minister of agriculture and the National Agriculture Marketing Counsel to address these imbalances,” Kleynhans said.
Thembi Tobie, the founder of internationally appreciated Thembi Wines, said the stigma that the black community has against wine is rooted in apartheid.
“I think it is because of the education that goes with wine appreciation. In the past black people were not allowed to drink wine in this country, let alone owning wine businesses, and this created a perception that wine is a Western drink. Remember, wine is a complex subject, the sad part is that there are opportunities in the wine value chain, but they require knowledge and passion for the wine. Now that it is easily accessible even in the townships, people should not only consume the product but should also see opportunities that lie in each bottle.”
Aubrey Ngcukama, co-founder and director of Black Cellar Club, an organisation that unites black sommeliers and empowers people interested in the hospitality industry, believes that the wine industry would do well to incorporate black heritage in its already rich tapestry.
Ngcukama also acknowledges that there are obstacles that impede success for black- owned wine businesses such as production resources.
