The journey started in a township taxi rank with the smoke and crackle of an open fire and the smell of roasting corn. Patiently waiting, Kate Jambela asked the griller where he lived. She discovered that, like many thousands, he and his family slept under used corrugated iron, held up on scraps of wood, in a nearby backyard shanty.


Kate proposed the griller contact the City’s housing project but learnt that the desperate need to earn to live left no time for the process. Within hours she had resigned from her job and set out to build this family home. Stubborn and resourceful, over time she built over 6 000 warm and safe township homes for families living in shacks.

Reality can have a cold face

The cost of even the smallest piece of vineyard in the established South African Winelands eventually caused Kate to review her plans.

Township land, if you can find it, is much less expensive than the established Winelands but Khayelitsha and neighbouring townships have the highest level of occupation in Africa. Shops and residences line the edges of all streets and flow back-to-back over every horizon. Pedestrians use the roads. There is hardly any empty space anywhere.

Kate proposed the griller contact the City’s housing project but learnt that the desperate need to earn to live left no time for the process. Within hours she had resigned from her job and set out to build this family home. Stubborn and resourceful, over time she built over 6 000 warm and safe township homes for families living in shacks.

The township answer

Fortunately for Kate, there was some vacant land in Khayelitsha within the borders of school properties – space originally planned for sports. Community poverty has prevented the development of these facilities. The land has not been used for any purpose since the schools’ buildings were erected.

Many of these schools are sited on the coastal plain of the Cape Flats where an underlying base of limestone is covered with sand blown from the nearby ocean. Although these are low fertility soils, rooted vines soon find the aquifer water in the limestone and can produce grapes with exceptional quality of juice for wine. Just across the national highway from Khayelitsha, the world-renowned Vergenoegd vineyards share the Cape Flats soil profile with the schools. 

Vukuzenzela

Making a joint venture work

Born without money, scraping a living, the people of Khayelitsha have found a way to create premium level vineyards that belong to the schools.

The Xhosa word Vukuzenzela means “We will group together and do it ourselves.” Under guidance, teams of unemployed parents prepare the land for planting a vineyard that belongs to the school.

The team from The Township Winery will enable the supply of vital equipment and support goods, overall management and best channel for the eventual wine to the world markets.

Losing a leader

During the COVID crisis of 2020, when wine sales and even wine transport were forbidden in South Africa, Kate Jambela tragically passed away. Her dream project is now memorialized by the Kate Jambela Vukuzenzela Foundation, the non-profit organisation linked to The Township Winery.

New blood soon stepped up with management involvement of Christelle, Kirsti and Madoda, focusing on progress with the vineyard development program while Graham and Wayne provided continuation in cellar and market developments. 

Our Team

Wayne
Arendse

delivers attention to the minutest detail and a creative touch. His  imprint can be found in each of The Township Winery’s products. He is one of the outstanding graduates of the South African Winelands cellar worker SKOP upliftment process, winning high awards.

Graham
Knox

has built on his advertising past and wine industry innovations to link an extensive wine production and world-wide wine trade network resource base with the raw energy and ambition of the people of the poorest township in Africa.

Christelle
September

can be relied upon to find a solution to every problem a project may encounter. Her boundless energy and team-building skills have followed her from a corporate career into the education world and The Township Winery.

Madoda
Mahlutshana

is a passionate driver of underprivileged education. Advancing from a rural Teacher’s College diploma to playing a key role in Western Cape education, he brings an inspiring spirit to the team. His enthusiasm brings out the best in red wines, too.

Kirsten
Hugo

is not afraid to rock the boat and channels her boundless energy towards ever higher goals and achievements for The Township Winery team while polishing the look and feel of each venture in honor of our Brand Identity and our mission.

The Township Winery process

Short Term Objectives

To buy award level grapes from maritime-influenced vineyards neighboring the townships (similar growing conditions to the planned township vineyards).   

To make award-level wines appreciated by domestic and international judges and consumers.

Long Term Objectives

Located next to premium vineyards but off the wine map, Khayelitsha schools have invariably guided their talented and ambitious learners toward an urban professional career, not wine.

The Township Winery’s Schools Vineyards Project is a five-year plan; the establishment of premium variety vineyards in the limestone-based soils within three Khayelitsha schools, as a joint-venture with the Schools communities. The vineyards will provide many teaching aids as well as income for unemployed parents and the school.

Twin programs are being pursued. Learn about our current projects

The story behind our wines

Wild Plum Vineyards and Wines

Arleen van Wyk, the Wild Plum vineyard owner, is a child of farmworker parents.  After retrenchment from her career job, she rented a small holding in a rural township, and started a trial organic vegetable garden.

Circumstances forced her to expand production, and to discover and develop markets in the city and suburbia.

Extra space within her Swartland property and mentoring by The Township Winery enabled the planting of a small Syrah vineyard, tended with organic care.

Her first crop of Syrah grapes was harvested in 2020, fermented and barrel matured at The Township Winery and exported to Germany’s fine wine market. The following vintages are following the same course.

The Mailbox Block Chenin Blanc

Planted in 1987, this certified Heritage Vineyard has regularly produced grapes renowned in the Stellenbosch district. Sadly, few farmworker children growing up in this environment have had the opportunity to shine as these grapes have had.

The Township Winery has chosen to hand-make wines from this venerable vineyard to enable a bursary for the educational progress of a farmworker-family child.

Barrel fermented and matured, the 2022 vintage Mailbox Block was awarded 93 points in the 2024 Fine Wine Awards and was ranked 5th among approximately 100 of the best South African Chenin Blanc wines.

Argument Corner Field Blend Red

Red blends are normally mixed just before bottling as the ripening and fermentation processes of different varieties generally happen in sequence. Cabernet Sauvignon is usually the last variety to come into the cellar.

But on a particular Wellington property, Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz and Merlot regularly ripen in unison, creating the opportunity for arguments. Which variety will we pick first?

Wayne chose to mix the 2021 grapes at the Argument Corner vineyard to create a natural blend before bringing them to the cellar. This has resulted in a harmony of complex flavors, unique among South African wines. It won a Silver Medal and 91 points in the 2024 Fine Wine Awards.

Funds raised from the sale of this wine will also enable educational progress; this time for a farmworker-family child from Wellington.