NEW MEMBERS GREATLY STRENGTHEN WINE AND SPIRIT BOARD'S INDUSTRY BASE
Afrikaans volg onder.
The new industry experts appointed by Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Minister Tina Joemat-Pettersen to the Wine and Spirit Board will bring new thinking as well as an extensive skills base to the deliberations of the board, says its new chairman, Matome Mbatha, himself a marketing specialist.
Representing a well-balanced blend of technical and industry expertise, the board comprises 13 members of whom eight are from the industry. Of the remaining five, three are from the Department of Agriculture, one is the minister’s personal representative and one is nominated by the Agricultural Research Council.
Among the eight industry members, four are young winemakers: Deon Boshoff, a cellar master at Distell, Olivia Poona from Robertson Winery, Carmen Stevens of Amani Vineyards near Stellenbosch, and Mario Damon from Bellingham.
The other industry representatives are Kurt Moore, CEO of SALBA (SA Liquor Brand Owners’ Association), Michael Mokhoro of Distell’s legal department who was previously the chairman of ARA (Industry Association for Responsible Alcohol Use), and Riaan Kruger, chairman of the Wine and Spirit Board’s management committee.
Matome Mbatha has been WOSA’s market manager for the Americas and Africa since 2008. He is the first black chairman selected from within industry ranks.
Commenting on his appointment, a senior industry spokesperson said that with his understanding of the dynamics of international markets, Mbatha was well placed to support the growth of wine as one of South Africa's key agricultural exports.
Mbatha said significant challenges awaited the new board, appointed for three years. “One of our main functions is overseeing the certification of wine and estate brandy in respect of cultivar, vintage and origin. In addition, we issue a fully traceable integrity and sustainability seal attesting to production integrity at every stage of the supply chain from vineyard to bottle.
“In 2012 the South African wine industry introduced a second, ethical seal confirming that fair and reasonable working conditions existed in the production of a particular wine. One of the tasks of the new board will be to combine, by 2016, the two seals into a single one which will attest to both the environmental and social sustainability of our wines.
"A highly progressive initiative that will certainly offer South Africa a competitive advantage, the combined seal will provide consumers of our wines worldwide with the guarantee that their purchases are underpinned by production integrity and fair labour practices.”
DATE APRIL 2, 2014
ISSUED BY DKC (DE KOCK COMMUNICATIONS)
ON BEHALF OF WINE & SPIRIT BOARD
QUERIES MATOME MBATHA, CHAIRMAN, WINE & SPIRIT BOARD, 021 883 3860, 083 288 0174
RIAAN KRUGER, CHAIRMAN, WINE & SPIRIT BOARD MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE 082 566 1140
BEN DE KOCK/MARLISE POTGIETER, DKC (021) 422 2690, 082 579 2358
NUWE LEDE VERSTERK WYN- EN SPIRITUSRAAD SE BEDRYFSBETROKKENHEID
Die nuwe bedryfslede wat deur die Minister van Landbou, Bosbou en Visserye, Tina Joemat-Pettersen, tot die Wyn- en Spiritusraad benoem is, sal sowel vernuwende denke as ? diepgaande kennis van die bedryf tot die raad se beraadslagings bydra. So sê die nuwe voorsitter, Matome Mbatha, ? bemarkingspesialis in die wynbedryf.
Die raad, wat ? goed gebalanseerde vermenging van tegniese en bedryfskundigheid verteenwoordig, bestaan uit 13 lede waarvan agt van die bedryf kom. Van die oorblywende vyf is drie verteenwoordigers van die Departement van Landbou, een is die minister se persoonlike verteenwoordiger en een word deur die Landbou-navorsingsraad benoem.
Van die agt lede uit die bedryf is vier jong wynmakers: Deon Boshoff, ? keldermeester van Distell, Olivia Poona van Robertson-wynmakery, Carmen Stevens van Amani Vineyards naby Stellenbosch, and Mario Damon van Bellingham.
Die ander bedryfslede is Kurt Moore, uitvoerende hoof van SALBA (SA Liquor Brand Owners’ Association), Michael Mokhoro van Distell se regsafdeling en ? gewese voorsitter van ARA (Industry Association for Responsible Alcohol Use), and Riaan Kruger, voorsitter van die Wyn- en Spiritusraad se bestuurskomitee.
Mbatha is sedert 2008 WOSA (Wines of South Africa) se bemarkingsbestuurder vir Noord- en Suid-Amerika en Afrika. Hy is die eerste swart voorsitter wat uit die geledere van die bedryf aangestel word.
? Senior woordvoerder van die bedryf het gesê met Mbatha se kennis van internasionale markte is hy goed toegerus om die groei in die uitvoer van hierdie sleutel-landbouproduk te help bevorder.
Mbatha het gesê daar wag aansienlike uitdagings op die nuwe raad, wat vir drie jaar aangestel word. “Een van ons vernaamste funksies is om die sertifisering van wyn en landgoed-brandewyn ten opsigte van kultivar, oesjaar en oorsprong te oorsien. Daarby reik ons ? ten volle naspeurbare integriteits- en volhoubaarheidseël uit wat die produksie-integriteit in elke stadium van die produksieketting - van die wingerd tot die bottel - bevestig.
“In 2012 het die Suid-Afrikaanse wynbedryf ? tweede, dié keer etiese seël bekend gestel wat bevestig dat ? wyn onder redelike en billike werktoestande geproduseer is. Een van die raad se take sal wees om teen 2016 die twee seëls in ? enkele seël te kombineer wat sowel die omgewings- as sosiale volhoubaarheid van ons wyne sal bevestig.
"Hierdie hoogs progressiewe inisiatief sal Suid-Afrika ongetwyfeld ? voordeel bo sy mededingers besorg deur aan verbruikers wêreldwyd die waarborg te gee dat produksie-integriteit én billike arbeidspraktyke ten grondslag van ons wyne lê.”
UITGEREIK DEUR DKC (DE KOCK KOMMUNIKASIE)
NAMENS WYN- EN SPIRITUSRAAD
DATUM UITGEREIK 2 APRIL 2014
NAVRAE MATOME MBATHA, VOORSITTER, WYN- EN SPIRITUSRAAD, 021 883 3860, 083 288 0174
RIAAN KRUGER, VOORSITTER, BESTUURSKOMITEE, WYN- EN SPIRITUSRAAD, 082 566 1140
BEN DE KOCK/MARLISE POTGIETER, DKC (021) 422 2690