What we do
The Goals
Of The Township Winery include:
- Enabling pathways for the youth into the skills rewarding sectors of the neighboring wine industry (world’s 8th largest)
- Innovative, entrepreneurial-style education
- Constructive projects with educational and economic rewards for the largely unemployed surrounding community
We reach these goals by strengthening the 5 main pillars that support our vision of an empowered community
Promote Agricultural Education
The Township Winery has chosen to focus on encouraging a wave of interest in land-based skills by the underprivileged in their first stages of education.
The lack of interest in agricultural careers among township learners and their educators is historically matched by an apparent lack of access to skilled employment and entrepreneurial opportunities in agriculture.
The townships of the Western Cape house several million people who are largely under-educated and unskilled. Their homes are situated adjacent to commercially successful wine-based industries, ranging from vineyards to transport to accountancy and chemistry, yet the two have little interaction. Changing this anomaly is the purpose of this drive.
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.
Boost Skill Levels
Everyone involved with the Schools Vineyards Project, a Township Winery initiative, will have opportunities to gain and hone skills
Classroom lectures and demonstrations by mentoring winemakers, viticulturists and other key wine industry professionals
On-site, in-vineyard demonstrations
Working with professional contractors who will plan the land preparation, the vineyard establishment and maintenance.
Coaching and mentoring by neighboring winery and vineyard staff
Chemistry demonstrations in class by wine industry staff
Business, economics and entrepreneurial opportunities with case histories
The lack of interest in agricultural careers among township learners and their educators is historically matched by an apparent lack of access to skilled employment and entrepreneurial opportunities in agriculture.
The townships of the Western Cape house several million people who are largely under-educated and unskilled. Their homes are situated adjacent to commercially successful wine-based industries, ranging from vineyards to transport to accountancy and chemistry, yet the two have little interaction. Changing this anomaly is the purpose of this drive.
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.
Network Resources from Establishment
Though township communities have lacked access to elements of the neighboring wine industry, many communication and practical assistance channels have been opened by the wine industry to facilitate access by new and prospective entrants.
The Township Winery has built access to and involvement in these assistance schemes into the Resourcing Plan that is the basis for the Schools Vineyards Project.
Though the Schools involved are adjacent to important vineyards, transport to and from the training centers and other bases is expensive in township terms and The Township Winery has pledged to bring access into the underprivileged communities.
Establish Township Resident-owned Vineyards
Most townships in the Cape winelands do not contain open rural land that could enable the establishment of a commercial vineyard of any meaningful size, even on the fringes.
All schools’ properties were planned to provide open space for the school community to establish and maintain extra-curricular activities for learners. However, the economic poverty of the immediate residential population in the township has left these areas barren of activity in most cases. The potential in vineyards designed to supply premium grape requirements to neighboring wineries are likely to offer sufficient commercial reward to support the costs of establishment and maintenance.
The Township Winery’s Schools Vineyard Project is designed to involve the resident community in a joint venture that will vineyard planning, preparation, planting, maintenance, and management. Each vineyard will remain the property of the School Governing Body.
Generate Awareness
The Schools Vineyard Project has an intriguing level of humanitarian appeal for widespread international audiences. An internationally acclaimed and locally based educational documentary film making unit has been involved with the Schools Vineyard Project since inception. Scripts have been prepared showing the first loosening of the soil to bottling and the entry of these township-origin wines into export markets. Fundraising campaigns to cover the multi-year scope of filmmaking have been prepared to support the initial pilot trailer and the eventual series of digital movies have been drawn up. Several major networks have shown interest; from the BBC to Germany’s Second Public network and a supplier to National Geographic television.
Structure
This black-owned private company produces and sells fine quality branded wine and uses the proceeds to benefit disadvantaged township residents.
Objectives
To enable realistic entry into the world of wine via
Vine growing
Winemaking
Other industry support careers
for deprived communities and individuals by enabling educational and career opportunities.
The SKOP education initiative
The majority of today’s South African cellar workers lacked the tertiary education that would allow access to the more highly skilled jobs in wine. Operating now over several decades, management in many wineries have colluded to enable winery staff to participate in short courses at wine academies in university vacation periods, a process known as SKOP.
Losing a leader
Wayne Arendse’s SKOP career
Wayne, the Township Winery cellarmaster, participated in the SKOP courses and has risen from teenage general cleaner to head winemaker level. His handmade wines have won awards from South Africa’s top judging panels; a testament to his talent and dedication.
How to Help
There are many ways that you can help speed up the establishment process and contribute to its success. If you are a supplier of vineyard resources, a keen corporate or a public citizen with a passion for people and wine, get in touch with us today.
