Mentorship drives diversity in South Africa’s wine industry
Historically, knowledge in the wine industry was passed through informal apprenticeships and family networks, often excluding Black South Africans from both ownership and technical expertise.
"The sector now supports 107 Black-owned wine brands, up by 50% in just ten years, alongside 81 Black-owned farms spanning grape production, logistics, and retail," says Phil Bowes, manager of inclusive growth strategies at SA Wine.
The result is a generation of professionals, owners, and producers who are better equipped to grow and sustain their businesses.
Ownership in action: Bosman Family Vineyards and Adama Wines
In Wellington, Bosman Family Vineyards hosts Adama Wines, South Africa’s largest Black-owned wine company, where 26% of the agribusiness is owned by workers.
Riedewaan Thomas, who began as an intern and is now a cellar leader, hopes to become the first male winemaker at Bosman Adama. Selected for the Burgundy Exchange Programme, Thomas exemplifies how mentorship and opportunity can combine to break barriers.
Representation with Purpose: HER Wine Collection
Founded in 2020 by Praisy Dlamini, HER Wine Collection is South Africa’s first all-women, all-Black wine brand.
Dlamini, who trained through Elsenburg and the Cape Winemakers Guild Protégé program, also runs the Students for Change initiative, funding bursaries for matriculants from farming communities and connecting students to professionals in the wine sector. She invests 2% of profits into education and mentorship.
Today, she also serves as general manager of Adama Wines, bridging two models of transformation.
Full-circle empowerment: Visio Vintners
Visio Vintners, a partnership between Kleine Zalze Wines and its empowerment trust, operates independently, with 51% of ownership in the trust’s hands and all Kleine Zalze workers as beneficiaries.
"We want the wine to stand on its own," says winemaker Hanri Ferreira. Visio’s Icon Wine blend has scored 92 points from UK critic Tim Atkin and received a 4.5-star Platter’s rating.
Systemic support and infrastructure
These initiatives are backed by targeted investments:
• R23.8m for enterprise development, training, and ethical trade programmes (SA Wine, 2024)
• Over 1,800 beneficiaries, including 545 youth
• The Wine Arc incubator supporting 13 Black-owned brands
• 2,217 learners enrolled in 170 programmes via the wine industry’s Learner Management System
Vinimark, one of South Africa’s largest independent wine distributors, supports these efforts, emphasising that mentorship, ownership, and community are critical to the sector’s long-term growth.