After years of colonial slavery South Africa is slowly shaking off these shackles from the past. Like any British colony we were taught that if you want tea you need to get yourself a local savage to make it for you. Today workers on some farms still suffer as a results of this, but over the last ten years things started to change, dramatically.
We look at some (of to many to mention) wineries that help change our abused social landscape:
(Please feel free to add your contribution in the comment section below. We need to send a telegraph to the “first” world)
Solms-delta is a prime example of a winery that tackles these issues head-on. The Museum van de Caab tells the story from the very beginnings of human settlement on the farm, through pre-colonial pastoral usage of the land, the establishment of private ownership through colonial viticulture, the scars left by slavery and apartheid, and beyond, to the establishment of a democratic South Africa and our hopes for the future. With its Black Empowerment program rooted in idealism yet driven by pragmatism, Solms-Delta is known as one of the country’s most progressive wine estates – and one that generates real results. Take a look at their website for a comprehensive overview.
The Durbanville Hills Worker’s Trust aims toward improving the quality of life of employees, their families and the surrounding community. Together with community members they have opened the crèche at the farm Morgenster.
Backsberg is well known for its environmental causes, but they also give back to the people. They’ve establish the Freedom Road housing project. The aim of the project is to create a situation whereby permanent workers of Backsberg could acquire title to their own homes,free of substantial debt. This aim has been achieved.
At Creation Wines, in the beautiful Hemel-en-Aarde valley, ask the staff to tell you how a jobless guy, working in the garden, became the assistant winemaker.
As a founding member of the Klapmuts Community Trust, Glen Carlou not only facilitates own-title housing benefits for their permanent staff, but also contributes toward providing the children at the local Klapmuts School with one square meal a day. Glen Carlou is also a founding member of the CWG Development Trust, which sponsors the higher education of promising children from disadvantaged backgrounds and funds housing projects in the wider wineland community.
Graham Beck established a Wines Workers’ Forum to act as the central axis for all matters involving their employees. Consisting of representatives from all departments and racial groups, it holds monhtly meeting to discuss and solve work related isssues.
Together with The Pebbles Project, Hartenberg opened an After-school club which cater for approximately 15 children aged 6 – 16 years.
Simonsig wine farm currently facilitates a variety of ongoing social upliftment endeavours within the broader Winelands community including child day care and sports development, support of the nearby school and a self-sustaining agricultural enterprise, managed by the workers themselves.
La Motte has long been involved in the socio-economic upliftment of its workers. As part of the Rupert family initiative, La Motte has helped construct a modern village for its workers in the town of Franschhoek. The village includes a day care centre, after-school center, computer room, sick-bay facilities, sport facilities as well as a modern training centre.
Together with Social Groups like The Pebble Project, Anna Foundation, Wines with Heart, to name a few, wineries like these (and many more) are busy reshaping the lives of our farm workers.
