A video of three singing Western Cape agriworkers has taken Mzansi by storm. The video has already reached thousands of people after first being posted on Facebook, and they certainly gave us goosebumps with their spirited voices and, once again, proved that our country has talent.
In her original Facebook post, Maritza Smith-Jacobs says the singers, who are employed by Thokozani in Wellington, the empowerment company of the Diemersfontein Wine Estate, is proof that where there is a will, there’s a way. It features a vocal trio singing their rendition of “The Prayer”, a song first recorded in English by the Canadian singer Celine Dion and in Italian by tenor Andrea Bocelli.
“These men work incredibly hard and no challenge is too great for them. They’re an inspiration for us all. Well done, guys. You make us proud.” – Maritza Smith-Jacobs
David Sonnenberg, the owner of Diemersfontein, was quoted in an earlier interview with wine.co.za saying Thokozani Wines was established with a small range of three blends and have since developed in local and international markets. Diemersfontein and Thokozani employees hold shares in the business.
It’s not the first time that Tokozani’s singers brought the house down with the beautiful talent. In 2017, Mbulelo Sikade, a then general worker and part-time security guard at Diemersfontein, took first place at the Agri’s Got Talent singing competition. Last year Tersia Groenewald, another general worker at Diemersfontein, was in the top 10 of this skills development project supported by the VinPro Foundation, Hortgro and the Western Cape Department of Agriculture.
“The Agri’s Got Talent project gives fruit and wine industry workers a platform to showcase their musical gifts, while developing skills with which they can make a difference in their communities. The competition is an example of the multi-dimentional nature of agriculture and rural communities as a whole and the contribution that this sector can make to unlock the potential of this country,” says Anton Rabe, the project founder and Executive Director of Hortgro.
