Wine Estates and Social Development

Wine farming in South Africa has a rich history that dates back over 300 years and is a huge part of what makes the country what it is. One of the biggest reasons for the success of wine estates in South Africa, particularly in the Cape Town region, is the dedication of the farm workers. While the wine makers and administrators play a vital role, without the workers, there simply wouldn’t be any grapes to turn into wine. Historically, these workers have been the last people to profit from the success of wine farms, but this has all started to change, thanks to the commitment and social development programmes adopted by many estates.

New Beginnings Thanks to Nelson’s Creek

When Nelson’s Creek Wine Estate was named “Champion Wine Producer in Boland” award, owner Alan Nelson realised that this achievement could never have been possible without the dedication of his workers. In gratitude he donated 11 hectares of land to 16 of the families who worked tirelessly on his estate. His only stipulation was that the land had to be used for agricultural or viticulture purposes, but otherwise all decisions were left up to the new owners. This massive social development project began in 1997 and essentially created the first ever black-owned wine estate in South Africa. The new Paarl estate was offered free use of all of Nelson’s Creeks equipment and cellars for three years, to give the workers the best chance of making a success of their new farm. Nelson’s Creek also offered, should they decide to grow grapes, to buy their first harvest. The workers did choose to become wine farmers and in 1998 the very first South African wines were produced by workers from the grapes they had grown on their very own land – aptly named New Beginnings. The estate has moved from strength to strength since that day and now offers three delectable wines - a Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon and a Pinotage.

Graham Beck Makes a Difference

The Graham Beck wine empire in South Africa comprises of two farms in Franschoek and Stellenbosch. The Beck family’s experience in wine farming has led to many award-winning social investment projects as they are well aware of the importance of giving back to the community that made their success possible.
All the workers on the Graham Beck estates are represented on a workers forum that acts on behalf of all employees. This vital forum gives everyone a platform to air their grievances and helps solve many problems before they escalate. The workers on this wine farm are also given training in many things from health and safety to team building and HIV/Aids management. While not always strictly wine related, this training offers the workers a chance to expand their knowledge and better their own lives.

Many of the other community projects offered By Graham Beck focus on the children of the farm. Crèche and aftercare facilities are available as well as a youth programme designed to give teenagers a safe place to go and have fun. A bursary scheme ensures that all children can get a decent education and housing subsidies guarantee that everyone has a comfortable place to sleep at night. From food gardening projects to choir practices and sporting events, the workers of the Graham Beck wine estates are thanked each and every day for their hard work and dedication.

Hazendal Village

Hazendal Wine Estate in Stellenbosch is nestled on the slopes of the Bottelary Hills and has recently been revitalised thanks to the hard work of new Russian owner Dr Mark Voloshin. The dilapidated estate was falling to ruins, but after a little hard work the Cape Dutch buildings and beautiful scenery once again complement each other. When taking this project in hand, Dr Voloshin did not only focus on fixing up the wine estate itself but also the conditions of the people so vital to its success – the workers.
Thus the Hazendal Village was born with the aim of improving the living conditions and situations of all of the farm workers and their families. The first step was to employ a full time social worker to look after the well-being of all the families. From ensuring that the children go to school or the clinic to counselling the parents, the social worker is on hand to help these people to learn how to help themselves.

In 1997, Dr Voloshin took this a step further and built the Hazendal Village. These 11 houses are fully equipped with water, electricity and bathroom facilities, finally giving six families a decent place to call home. Dr Voloshin also did not neglect the children and workers who don’t live on the actual farm. An extensive community facility offers all the children a safe place to go after school and an educator is on hand each day to supervise and teach them through fun and creative play. The success of these projects is unprecedented and becomes the most obvious after harvest time. The annual Hazendal Christmas party is a festive event where everyone from the office administrators to the farm workers get together and relax. The camaraderie amongst all levels of staff is testament to how a little consideration can go a long way to creating and sustaining a happy and productive work force.

Backsberg’s Green Estate

A wine estate’s social responsibility does not only extend to its workers and communities, but also to the land on which it operates. The ground and the environment play a huge role in the success of a wine estate and it is up to the owners to ensure that the land is sustained. As Michael Back of Backsberg Estate says, farmers are only temporary custodians of a piece of land and owe it to future generations to preserve it – and the Backsberg Estate has done just that. This estate has recently earned the status of being the first wine producer in South Africa to be given carbon neutral status. As only the third estate in the world to have successfully sequestered its carbon emissions, this achievement is even more noteworthy. The estate underwent a “carbon audit” to understand and limit the emissions released during every aspect of the wine making process. Through a rigorous plan that includes planting trees, using of bio fuels, developing new methane digester technology, reviewing packaging as well as setting aside land for additional biomass, Backsberg has achieved its new status to the acclaim of critics the world over. This commitment to “going green” is not only limited to carbon emissions and 10% of the land was recently set aside for non-development to preserve the fynbos of the area. This project is already credited with rescuing many plant species from near-extinction and shows that with a little effort, wine farms can give back to the land as successfully as the land gives to them.

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Hazendal Wine Estate is one of the oldest in South Africa and one of the most committed to social development. From giving new artists a place to display work in the Marvol Museum to creating a village for its workers, Dr Voloshin and the Hazendal Estate are play a vital role in the new South Africa.

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