Du Toitskloof Wines Takes Limelight in South African Literature and Film Arena

In an era of intense competition in the wine industry, the well-known Rawsonville wine brand Du Toitskloof Wines has carved out a unique position for itself in the world of Afrikaans literature and films. Du Toitskloof has just announced its second year as prize-sponsor of the popular Stellenbosch University Woordfees Short Story Competition where the winning story receives R30 000. And for the fourth year in a row, Du Toitskloof will be the official wine sponsor of the kykNET Silwerskermfees, one of South Africa’s leading film festivals which includes films in English and Afrikaans.

“South Africa’s cultural arena remains as dynamic, productive and powerful as ever,” says Marius Louw, CEO of Du Toitskloof. “The high profile Du Toitskloof has today in the spheres of literature and film actually began with our commitment to social responsibility.”

As the largest Fairtrade winery in South Africa, Du Toitskloof has placed a premium on the up-liftment of the local Breedekloof communities. And along with the projects involving medical support, child-care and housing, education through reading and writing received top-priority. An example of this is the state-of-the-art mobile library that takes books and reading to nine schools in the region where the children do not have access to reading matter and stories.

“This need to be involved with creative endeavours spilled over into sponsoring a wine writing competition which we held for three years,” says Louw. “Unfortunately the competition did not manage to muster much enthusiasm among potential entrants, despite the considerable prize money at stake. When we were approached by the US Woordfees to partner them in a fiction short story competition, we agreed as the Woordfees is one of the leading brands in the domain of arts and culture in the country.”

Marius Louw, CEO of Du Toitskloof Wines

Du Toitskloof Wines’ involvement as sponsor in 2016 was reciprocated with an exceeding of expectations. “Some 180 short stories were entered into the US Woordfees Competition, a delightfully exciting, rich collection of fiction from established authors and new voices.”

But as they say in the classics, “wait, there’s more……”

During the announcement of the winning story at this year’s competition, television Channel kykNET made an unexpected appearance on the stage to inform those present that this year’s winning story would not only receive the R30 000 cheque, but would also be turned into a short-film for screening at this year’s Silwerskermfees.

“Now the horse has truly bolted,” says Louw. “The US Woordfees Short Story Competition straddles both media of literature and film, and as headline sponsor Du Toitskloof has managed to considerably elevate its profile among consumers as both Woordfees and Silwerskerm enjoy high degrees of awareness in all South African communities.”

Louw says that the success of the ventures are the result of focus and patience. “Nothing happens overnight,” he says. “We spent years forming the relationships within the literary and film communities, both of which are fortunately open to enjoying the odd glass of wine! The result is ownership of this vibrant cultural space inhabited by creative people from young to old who are vibrant in their communication and buy into those sponsors supporting the arts. Which, in the current case, is Du Toitskloof.”

More on the US Woordfees Short Story Competition can be found at here.