Mnikelo believes that black people stand to benefit extensively if more were to participate in the wine industry at any level.

“In the townships we don’t have role models anymore, everyone making anything moves to the suburbs, so we see our business as inspirational to the youth. If there were more wine shops in Soweto it would inspire upcoming youth to seek out careers in the wine industry and thus transform the wine industry at large. It would also shift the mind-set of industry owners to invest more in marketing here.”

I ask Mnikelo why marketing is so important and he explains, “New wine farms don’t get space in big stores. That’s one advantage of having a wine store in Soweto: we have direct interest from black wine producers and we can give their brands traction. If you try and compete with the Rupert’s you’re never going to win, but if we take control of the marketing on this side we can create the demand.”

Thus his approach to getting more young people involved: “I want to encourage them to focus more on marketing wine rather than producing it. I bought shares in CWA in 2012, and in 2013 we bid for the Wine Learnership Program (supported by the Departments of Agriculture, Tourism and Social Development). We won, and recruited 500 unemployed matriculants here and in the Western Cape; they took part in a 12 month, fulltime training course. 90 % of them qualified and are now being absorbed into the hospitality industry.” One such graduate, Rowena Setle, now works as Mnikelo’s assistant.

In the same token Mnikelo speaks of needing distributors that will focus on black areas “When you look at the major distributors, the investment they put into marketing wine in Sandton or the Southern suburbs is very different to here. A focus on Soweto and nearby townships would benefit transformation.” I ask him if he’s ever thought of getting involved, he laughs and nods, “I’m working on it as we speak.”

Mnikelo ushers me to the bar and opens a bottle of Spier Creative Block. We talk about the festival, now in its 12th year, and his want to replicate it in other black areas across Gauteng (followed of course by more wine stores). We laugh, debate and muse our way through the bottle…and just as I’m readying myself to leave, Mnikelo looks at me and says, “Nobody’s been courageous enough to believe that this industry can be transformed. More than anything I’ve learnt that you need to invest in patience. In terms of my investment, it’s starting to bear fruit.”

Changing the status quo

as told by its people and spaces

by Youlendree Appasamy