A partnership between the department of agriculture, Land Bank, National Agricultural Marketing Council (NAMC), and the European Union have yielded a Wine and Spirits Fund worth €15 million (over R311 million). The fund is set to help drive inclusive growth, unlock new business opportunities, and support the development of black-owned brands, farms, education and enterprises across the wine and spirits industry.
Speaking at the launch in Franschhoek, Western Cape, this week, the deputy director general from the department of agriculture, Kwena Komape, said transformation is not easy; it needs multi-stakeholder engagements to go on continuously.
“This is an important milestone in the wine sector, and this has been made possible by the partnership which we have with all the stakeholders that are gathered here today. This project was designed to assist with the transformation of the sector.
“This is a bold step towards transforming a sector that is both vital to our heritage and economy to enable a successful and meaningful inclusion of black farmworkers, black farm owners and black-owned brands,” she said.
Building an inclusive wine industry
Komape added that the fund is not about looking backwards but building a future where everyone in the industry is also able to participate in it and be exposed to markets.
“We want to see black-owned brands getting those lucrative deals, such deals cannot only be for the few, everyone must get a share,” she said.
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Chief executive officer of South Africa Wine, Rico Basson, said the fund will be used to promote equitable access to land or adequate infrastructure in the wines and spirits industry, to facilitate the provision of education, training and capacity development of farmworkers, black farmers, and black-owned brands.
“One of our key strategic pillars at South Africa Wine is to drive inclusiveness and growth in the wine industry through targeted programmes that support black farmers, invest in people development, and champion ethical trade.
“This EU funding is a major injection that will help accelerate momentum and scale impact where it’s most needed. This is about creating more opportunities and building long-term success for our sector.”
Basson said South Africa Wine will work with all stakeholders to share information, support applications, and ensure this funding reaches people and projects where it can make the most significant difference.
“My wish is that we work together, we all put our focus on the people, because that is what is important. The people who make sure that what needs to be done is done are the ones who are most important,” he said.
How the fund will impact workers and producers
Chief executive officer of Land Bank, Themba Rikhotso, said the bank is ready to implement the initiative, especially in the Western and Northern Cape. He said they did not want to launch something that they were not ready with.
“Through this fund, we aim to fund farmworkers, black producers, black farmers who want to own their own brand. The Wine and Spirits Fund is not only about financing but about changing lives for all stakeholders,” he said.
Rikhotso explained that the fund will also look into challenges like alcohol abuse, foetal alcohol abuse, and the wellness of the farmworkers, with a focus on ensuring that those who work the land are also taken care of.
He assured producers that Land Bank is available to walk with them and that the wine industry has become a focus for the entity because transformation is not a once-off initiative.
Meanwhile, Lesego Serolong-Holzapfel, the founder of Moedi Wines, said that as one of the black-owned wines, she is excited about the prospects still to come and the better possibilities for the industry.
“We are super excited about this initiative, we are looking forward to working with all the role players in realising that the fund changes the lives of black owners and there is a huge impact,” she said.
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