Soweto Wine Festival on the rise
31 August 2009
The Standard Bank Soweto Wine Festival, taking place at the Soweto Campus of the University of Johannesburg on 4 and 5 September, could become one the most important wine festivals in South Africa, if sponsorship growth is anything to go by.
Sponsors adding sparkle to the fifth edition of the annual festival are Standard Bank, South African National Parks, the Johannesburg Tourism Company, the Cradle of Humankind and Pick n Pay, along with media partners Kaya FM, City Press and DStv.
New to the festival's sponsorship stable are Vodacom, the Nederburg Wine Estate, Alto Wine Estate, JC Le Roux and 4th Street Wine.
Standard Bank has partnered with the Cape Wine Academy for the last three years to bring the Standard Bank Soweto Wine Festival to the community of Soweto.
"We intend to use this opportunity to demonstrate our commitment to the upliftment of the community of Soweto and the agriculture industry at large, particularly the wine industry," says Standard Bank's Hannah Mphelo-Abbas.
Four-pillar approach
Marilyn Cooper, Cape Wine Master, joint founding member of the Soweto Wine Festival and MD of the Cape Wine Academy, says the key to the festival's growth lies in a four-pillar approach: big brand sponsorship, wine estate exhibitors, visitors to the festival, and communications around the festival.
If there is failure in any one of these pillars, then the festival will not grow as it should and provide what it must: community upliftment, wine education, and growth in local wine sales.
"Wine is a big part of our South African heritage and has been for 350 years," says Cooper. "We will celebrate this Soweto-Style at the festival".
Mnikelo Mangciphu, joint founding member of the Soweto Wine Festival and owner of the Morara Wine Emporium in Soweto, says the Soweto Wine Festival is a 'must-do event' for every South African wine label.
"Our wineries cannot ignore the fact that the black middle-class audience is worth R180-billion plus, and in the future will constitute around 70 percent of their consumers," says Mangciphu. "This is the only growth market in South Africa when it comes to their products."
Says Alto winemaker Schalk van der Westhuizen: "As we mark our national industry's 350th anniversary, we can say it has truly come of age now that wine has become accessible to all South Africans. I know I speak for everyone at Alto when I say how proud we are to be associated with a festival that brings the pleasure of wine to the people".
Festival growth
Soweto Wine Festival statistics researched by wine.co.za year-on-year since 2005 shows collective growth in wine education, wine consumption and purchasing price decisions among black middle class visitors.
In 2006, 43% of visitors at the festival could not name a type of wine. In 2008, 100% named a favourite type of wine, with Chardonnay peaking at 37%.
The price paid for a bottle has also significantly increased. In 2006, 32% visitors were spending up to a maximum R100 per bottle. In 2008, over 27% said they spent over R100 per bottle, with 17% spending over R200 per bottle. This is a premium label audience. Not to be sniffed at.
Growth in visitors to the festival has also steadily grown. In 2005, the first festival was held over three days at Ubuntu Kraal in Orlando West and was attended by 1 500 visitors, with 82 wineries exhibiting. In 2006, the festival moved to the University of Johannesburg and had 3 000 visitors attending, with 88 wineries exhibiting.
In 2007, 4 225 visitors came to the festival, with 94 wineries exhibiting, and in 2008, 4 635 black wine enthusiasts and 103 wineries packed the hall to capacity.
To celebrate its five years in Soweto, and 350 years of South African winemaking, the festival is running a major "Soweto Loves Cape Wine" competition in conjunction with Pick n Pay Hyper. The winners will go on a three-night, all-expenses-paid tour of the Cape Winelands.
Sapa
