Robertson Wine Valley Leading with Development of People

Workers in the Robertson Wine Valley are achieving great things

In many ways, 2008 was a golden year for the Robertson Wine Valley: wineries excelled at competitions, wine festivals grew well and a wide variety of tourism activities developed.

But 2008 will mostly be remembered for the outstanding achievements and accolades that the Robertson Wine Valley wineries and their workers accomplished on the development front.

Eddie Mtambo (Bonnievale Cellar) was named WCSA’s Cellar Worker of the Year.

De Goree Farming, Van Loveren’s BEE project, was chosen as the National Agri BEE project of the year.

Joseph Plaatjies (Graham Beck Wines) was named the Sanlam Western-Cape Farm worker of the Year.

Jonas Cupido (Van Loveren), as part of a cellar worker-study group project, made his first wine, with which he won a golden medal at the 2008 South African Young Wine Show. With this wine he also took the Champion Trophy for Cabernet Sauvignon at the 2008 Robertson Young Wine Show.

The Graham & Rhona Beck Skills Center, a multi-sectoral training facility opened its doors in 2008 and has already trained 1060 people, most of which was vineyard- and wine related.

Patrick Sedyiyo (tasting room assistant at Ashton Cellar) was chosen by the Cape Winelands District Municipality to represent them at the 2008 Indaba, Durban, as well as at the Uppercrust Show Bombay, India.

Lifa Tekiso (Weltevrede) and Attie Pieterse (Graham Beck Wines) were two of only eight cellar assistants in the wine industry chosen to take part in the Thuthukile exchange program in Beaune, France.

The Rural Development Association, a unique partnership between the farm workers, formal agricultural sector, wine cellars and local government, has expanded their work to various new areas to include the following projects:

• Establishment of community structures
• Adult Literacy
• Establishing and upgrading of crèches
• Setting up mobile libraries
• Vegetable Gardens
• Youth Development
• Information sessions (worker’s rights, ID campaign)
• HIV program
• Alcohol- and Drug program
• School Transportation
• Skills development
• Basic health care (child care)

Read more about great social initiatives and accomplishments in our Social section, and more about all things wine in our Cape Winelands section, and subscribe to our Editor’s Picks Newsletter to make sure you don’t miss out on a variety of Cape Town news and things to do.