Young women are changing the face of SA’s wine industry

Across the Cape Winelands, a quiet shift is gaining momentum, one rooted in mentorship, ownership and community development. It’s a shift that’s not just reshaping who gets to be part of the wine industry, but how they thrive within it.

For too long, knowledge of wine was something passed around the same tables through informal apprenticeships, family networks, and closed-door connections. For many black South Africans, this meant not just exclusion from ownership, but exclusion from understanding: terroir, varietals, markets, culture.

But change is happening, and mentorship is at the heart of it. According to Phil Bowes, manager of Inclusive Growth Strategies at SA Wine, 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.

One such example is Bosman Family Vineyards, home to South Africa’s largest Black-owned wine company, Adama Wines. Here, 26% of the agribusiness is owned by its workers an inspiring model of shared ownership and empowerment. Adama Wines is the parent company of the AMANDLA and HER wine collection brands. It was founded in 2018 with a vision to empower young, black women. 

The HER Wine Collection was founded by Praisy Dlamini and is South Africa's first all-women, all-black wine brand. 

It's home to Ruth Faro, a 32-year-old viticulturist from Wellington. After several years volunteering in the community, she was selected for a work readiness programme presented by the Pinotage Youth Development Academy (PYDA), an NPO which focuses on skills capacity development within the wine industry. Thereafter she completed the Skills Fusion programme facilitated by VinPro where she learnt about Plant Production among other wine industry skills, becoming the viticulturist for Adama Wines.

Faro explains her job involves ensuring that their vineyards stay healthy.

“I need to constantly analyse the soil and examine the root structure of the vines. And then there is canopy management which includes the pruning and suckering of the vines to make sure the grapes ripen evenly and remain healthy until it is time to harvest.

"My busiest time is during harvest, typically from January to April. But preparation starts much earlier in June and July when pruning begins. That’s when we prepare the vineyards for the next year’s harvest. I visit the vineyards and meet with the teams, explaining our pruning criteria: what we expect, how the vines should be pruned, and why it matters for quality. In September, the flowering stage starts, followed by budding and shoot development.

"During this time from September to December, I do quality checks and manage the canopy. Again, I’m out in the vineyards, reinforcing what we want and what’s expected to maintain consistency. In January, vine growth slows down, and the ripening phase begins. I go out to check the grapes, take samples, measure sugar levels and make notes. Based on this, we decide when to harvest. I bring all the information back and document it. During harvest, I’m in the vineyards daily doing sampling, checking the condition of the vines and staying in close contact with the cellar team," said Faro.

Wellington is known for Chenin Blanc, she says, "you'll see that most producers here are planting Chenin".

"In both Paarl and Wellington, Chenin and Pinotage are very common choices. The region has excellent soils, mainly clay and sandy soils. Based on these soil types, you need to do a proper soil analysis before deciding on which rootstock to use. There are various grape varieties planted, but Chenin remains one of the most prominent. At Bosman, there's a block of Chenin that was planted in 1959. Some of the blocks are over 65 years old. That block is still producing, although the yields are lower due to the age of the vines."

While she explains there are still very few women in viticulture, things are starting to change, citing a Vinpro Young Viticulturist group where they visit various farms to keep pace with what the industry is doing where they are more women. 

“We learn from each other and share experiences to help lift one another up," she said. 

Another Adama wines worker with promise is Riedewaan Thomas, who began his journey as an intern and now leads the cellar team.

His dream is to become the first male winemaker at Bosman Adama.

Selected for the Burgundy Exchange Programme, Riedewaan’s story is a powerful example of how mentorship and opportunity can come together to break down barriers and open doors across borders.

Cape Times