Despite market and labour hurdles, Wieta, Fairtrade Africa, and Stronger Together are reshaping South Africa’s wine industry. Leaders explain how they are crafting a fairer, more transparent, and globally respected industry.
South Africa’s wine industry faces many challenges, from evolving global markets to climate pressures. Yet, as leaders from the three organisations show, ethical practices, responsible recruitment, and industry collaboration are creating a more sustainable and inclusive future.
Chirstone Hornsby, programmes manager of standards and stakeholder engagement at the Wine and Agricultural Ethical Trade Association (Wieta), Emerentia Patientia, senior project officer at Fairtrade Africa, and Evan Cupido, project manager at Stronger Together, outline their
collective approach to improving labour conditions, human rights, and sustainability within the wine industry.
Hornsby acknowledges the complexity of maintaining ethical standards across the South African wine industry.
He explains, “Our four areas of core work are ensuring that Wieta has a strong and robust ethical social standard, meaning there are 13 principles which every farm, cellar, temporary employment service provider and trade union within the value chain must uphold. These requirements consist of management systems, health and safety practices on the ground, housing, regular employment, social responsibility, and community development.”
This comprehensive framework guides Wieta’s efforts to ensure dignity, respect, and fairness throughout the industry.
Building on this foundation of strong standards, Hornsby points to Wieta’s whistleblower mechanism as a critical tool in protecting workers’ rights. “We also have a whistleblower mechanism; it provides dialogue, internal and external access to Wieta’s members to lay complaints that are in contravention of the Wieta standard on the Wieta Labour Desk hotline.”
Fair wages and responsible recruitment
Extending this commitment to fairness, Patientia notes on fair wages and equitable trade, explaining, “Fairtrade Africa promotes ethical trade practices and prioritises the rights and dignity of workers. As the largest producers of Fairtrade-certified wine globally, South Africa benefits from rigorous Fairtrade standards that aim to ensure fair wages, fair working conditions, and environmental sustainability.
“Through training and partnerships, such as with Wieta, we help producers access global markets and ensure that the benefits of trade are shared equally across the value chain.”
Addressing another crucial aspect of ethical labour, Cupido highlights the importance of responsible recruitment.
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“One of the key drivers of labour exploitation is irresponsible recruitment practices within the wine sector and agriculture more broadly. There is a dependency on labour; whenever you are dealing with labour, you are bringing in a high number of people, whether they will be permanent, seasonal or temporary.
“Our goal has always been to provide support and guidance to producers to understand how these issues can manifest and what measures they can take to mitigate and safeguard their operations from bad recruitment practices,” Cupido says.
Building a stronger wine industry, together
This emphasis on practical support translated into action in July, when Wieta, Fairtrade Africa, and Stronger Together hosted a two-day training event in Robertson and Rawsonville. The sessions brought together 44 delegates from management and worker roles, focusing on aligning business practices with international human rights laws and compliance standards.
Key topics included grievance mechanisms, anti-retaliation policies, and strategies to empower stronger management-worker dialogue, all aimed at fostering a more respectful, transparent, and accountable wine sector.
This event built on successful collaborations initiated in 2024, with the organisations receiving strong feedback for their practical, empowering approach.
Hornsby expresses his hope that this partnership will continue for years to come – an enduring alliance driving meaningful change and setting the standard for ethical leadership in the industry.
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