Transformation
For more than 350 years, the cultures of Africa, Europe and the East have mingled in Cape Town, gateway to the South African winelands, a city rich in colourful history and culturally vibrant. It was here that Nelson Mandela, in 1990, took his historic walk to freedom. Today South Africa, a country of enormous diversity, is a peaceful democracy, home to the 'rainbow nation'.
The breaking down of political barriers and the redressing of historical wrongs in South Africa has seen people from disadvantaged communities emerge as winegrowers and winemakers in the Cape winelands for the first time. Historically, they provided the labour on which the industry is based. The South African wine industry currently employs 269 096 people both directly and indirectly, including wine tourism. In the Western Cape, the wine industry supported 166 652 jobs resulting in a total household income of R9.3 billion. Read more
here and view an infographic
here.
Part of the process of redressing imbalances is an ongoing education drive, spearheaded by various trusts and initiatives. A number of Cape wine farmers have also established joint ventures with their workers to give them part ownership and to transfer skills in wine farm management as well as winemaking. There have also been a number of private initiatives to extend vineyard ownership to communities living in winemaking regions, where proceeds from wine sales are used to improve the quality of life of residents.
Some 98% of SA wine producers contribute voluntarily to Aware.org – previously known as the Industry Association for Responsible Alcohol Use (ARA) fund – to which the wine industry currently contributes 25%, the spirits industry 25% and the beer industry 50%. Read more
here.
Black Economic Empowerment
Read more about BEE
Black-owned Brands
Access a list of black-owned wine brands
Corporate Social Investment
Download the CSI Infographic
e-Books
View/download e-books documenting transformation in the winelands
Education Initiatives
Information on education programmes
Empowerment Projects
Read about a number of successful ventures
Ethical Trade in South Africa Q & A
Access Q & A on transformation and labour relations in the South African wine industry
Fairtrade Wines
View a list of South African Fairtrade wines
Related Links
Browse websites related to empowerment & transformation
Social Issues
Access more information on social issues in the winelands
Videos
View/download videos documenting transformation in the winelands
WIETA
Access the Wine and Agricultural Industry Ethical Trade Association's website