The wine industry has been described as snobbish, clubby and competitive but 32-year old Mzokhona Mvemve,
is fast making a name for himself in this tough industry. This gives one some inkling of the drive that has
brought a man born in Umlazi township near Durban to the wine lands of the Western Cape. Raised by his mother,
a domestic worker, Mvemve was determined to be an achiever.
After leaving school, he studied Chemical Engineering in Durban. Then on the advice of one of his lecturers
decided to look at winemaking. He received a scholarship to study Viticulture and Oenology at Stellenbosch
University, but ironically he didn’t drink alcohol. He grew to love wine the way one learns to like sushi.
"At first sushi is a foreign dish, but when you try it you begin to learn more. Before you know it, you are
hooked." The fact that Mvemve could not speak Afrikaans did not deter him. "There were times when I sat in a
lecture and didn’t understand a word. It took a lot of initiative on my side to make it work for me." Mvemve
is one of the few black graduates in South Africa with this qualification.
After his graduation, he was head hunted by the big corporations but he chose to get his practical experience
at smaller wine producers - Kanu and Delaire, two wineries based in Stellenbosch. "There were so many things I
had to learn about this industry, its language, its cliques, the role players. I felt the best way was with
a smaller company where I could get an overview of the whole process," says Mvemve.
During this period he met award winning winemaker Bruwer Raats. Mvemve’s decision not to take the cushy corporate
route but to learn the hard way is very characteristic of the man says Bruwer. “I told him that he would have to
start at the bottom as an ordinary cellar worker. He was quite happy to take on this humble position and work himself
up the ladder, which he did very quickly. Over the seven years I have known him, his decisions are very strategic.
He never opts for the easy choice."
Mwemve worked at Cape Classics for a while as a winemaker but then decided to strike out on his own. He wanted to create
his own wine label. But starting was not easy as it required substantial capital and time says Mvemve. Eventually he got
a grant of R100 000 from the SA Wine Industry Trust. In 2005, Sagila Wines was launched on the market. "When I stood in
the cellar and looked at the wine I had made, bottled and labeled, I felt what now? I was very nervous because I had to
sell an unknown brand."
The label name Sagila is a tribute to Mwemve’s ancestors and refers to a traditional mace. His range comprises the Sagila
Sauvignon Blanc and Sagila Chenin Blanc. After his first vintage sold out, he began to get queries from Johannesburg, Cape
Town, Germany, Sweden and the UK. "Then I began to think that maybe I’m in business," says Mvemve. He is currently selling
his third vintage, a remarkable feat in a competitive market where there is a global glut of wine.
He also joined forces with Bruwer Raats to produce a wine called De Compostella. The maiden release in 2006 was the highest
rated South African red wine by the prestigious USA wine magazine, Wine Spectator.
Mwemve has been on the tasting panel of the John Platter Guide and a SAA wine selection judge. One of South Africa’s leading
wine experts, Michael Fridjhon, has observed him in action. "He is a good and confident taster and has very strong presentation
skills," says Fridjhon. He believes that Mvemve has the potential to assume leadership of transformation in the wine industry.
Mvemve is a non-executive director of Wavuka PowerPack, a BEE investment company focused on the wine industry supply chain –
companies involved in areas such as bottling, cartons, chemicals and distribution.
In October, Sagila Wines will be part of the Mega Tasting wine function in London, which showcases South African wines to the
European market. Mvemve’s next goal is the United States where he intends to secure an importer for his wines.
As if Mvemve does not have enough on his plate, he started an MBA in 2006. "My background is science and I am aware of my short
comings. I wanted something that would teach me about business at a high level because that is where I intend to take my own
business." Somehow he also manages to find time for his family. Mvemve is married to Lerato, a medical doctor and has a son
who is two years old.
HOW HE CHILLS
Walking in Kirstenbosch Gardens with his family, gym workouts and weekends with friends drinking wine and not talking shop.
