The South African Wine Industry Professional Body (SAWIPB) is raising a toast to a new chapter in professional development and social sustainability with the official launch of its new “Lead the way” campaign.
The initiative goes beyond just training to create a dynamic movement promoting career pathways and expertise across the entire wine industry. It is designed to engage the public and industry professionals in a collective effort to elevate skills.
SAWIPB is dedicated to advancing the skills and professionalism of individuals in all aspects of wine production, from grape growing (viticulture) to winemaking, tourism, and logistics. Through collaboration with stakeholders, it aims to ensure a thriving and sustainable future for South Africa’s renowned wine industry.
Kachné Ross, people and skills development manager at South Africa Wine, emphasises the importance of the “Lead the way” campaign: “We want to keep the social component of our industry healthy, and we believe the best way you can do that is through education and support.”
SAWIPB offers career-enhancing opportunities to skilled individuals, from vineyard workers to winemakers, logistics, tourism, and marketing professionals.
Speaking to Food For Mzansi, Ross says the campaign promises a wealth of captivating content, including an exciting podcast series with key figures who helped develop the SAWIPB framework, as well as a YouTube channel.
Investing in people, building a sustainable future
Ross says SAWIPB recognises the importance of social sustainability within the industry. They aim to achieve this by:
- Prioritising career support: Offering recognition of prior learning and experience, along with ongoing guidance and education for all levels of professionals.
- Industry collaboration: Building strong partnerships across the value chain to ensure a robust and independent industry structure.
- Holistic sustainability: Understanding that sustainability is about people, SAWIPB focuses on enhancing competencies across all sub-sectors, impacting roughly 300 000 workers.
Rico Basson, CEO of South Africa Wine, reflects on the initial vision that led to SAWIPB’s creation. He says, “We set up the project to, at that stage set up a learner management system.
“To start building careers for people to make sure that even a vineyard worker can become a professional by having a CV. It is a way for us to attract the best talent, more important to retain that talent and make sure we grow that talent.”
Key initiatives to empower professionals
Ross adds that SAWIPB empowers professionals through expertise-based learning programmes tailored to South Africa’s wine industry, a code of conduct ensuring high standards, and strong industry backing to secure a bright future for winemaking.
While the organisation is not yet officially registered with SAQA, it is excited to share its diligent preparation for this milestone. This collaborative effort aligns with its vision to achieve certification and high standards, showcasing its commitment to professional growth and full SAQA accreditation.
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