Thandi Wines

Thandi loves making history

1995: First broad-based BEE project in agriculture
2003: First Fairtrade wine brand in the world
2004: First BEE company to win a gold medal at the International Wine Challenge
2004: First successful model for sustainable development in farming
2009: First fully independent broad based BEE wine company in South Africa

Thandi’s love story. Established in Elgin in 1995, Thandi – a Xhosa word meaning ‘nurturing love’ – is a wine that niches on quality, spawned the Fairtrade trend, and uplifts and empowers previously disadvantaged communities. In 2003, Thandi became the first wine brand in the world to receive Fairtrade accreditation.

The name Thandi, is derived from the name of the daughter of one of the key role players in the community, Trevor Steyn, who was instrumental in bringing the Thandi dream to life.

Thandi loves humanity. Revered for its refined elegance, Thandi’s secret to success is not the fact that good taste is a constant ingredient, but rather that the brand helps create wealth and uplifts previously disadvantaged communities. Profits and Fairtrade premiums are ploughed back into various upliftment initiatives such as the education of children (all levels up to university), training and development, health care support, home improvements and sport and recreation.

Thandi is South Africa’s first agricultural Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) project, as the company is owned by 250 farm worker families who hold 62% shares in the company. Furthermore, the Thandi community also holds farmland ownership over three farms, namely Lebanon Fruit Farm, Nietbegin and Paardenkloof.

Thandi loves our people. The Thandi community is involved in almost all stages of the winemaking process (from working in the vineyards to managing the farm and marketing the wines), as the brand aims to uplift previously disadvantaged people.

Managing Director Vernon Henn. Vernon, who was appointed as Managing Director of Thandi Wines in 2007, says his job enables him the privilege to plough back into the community and contribute towards creating wealth for the Thandi shareholders, many whom are farm workers.

“Although we are able to empower people through the wine sales, Thandi is firstly about quality. We want consumers to repeatedly purchase our product. It may be a bit arrogant to say this, but my aim is to make Thandi one of the biggest and strongest empowerment brands in the wine industry,” says Vernon passionately.

Vernon stems from a humble background and although there wasn’t money for tertiary studies, he managed to continually climb the career ladder as a result of eager enthusiasm, hard work and dedication. What makes him even more admirable is the fact that he managed to transform Thandi into a thriving stand-alone business while juggling part-time studies and family life. Being a people’s person with a transparent “what-you-see is what-you-get” personality and an utterly infectious laugh, Vernon is the ideal person to steer Thandi Wines from strength to strength.

Office Assistant and Tasting Room Manager Edwina Janse. Edwina, the daughter of one of the Thandi shareholders on the Lebanon Fruit Farm, worked at the Thandi farm kitchen in Elgin, for 6 years after matriculating, offering customers a delicious home-cooked meal coupled with a shy smile. Thereafter, she took the opportunity to spread her wings and worked in the hustle and bustle otherwise known as London, for six months, to gain some invaluable life experience.

Back on home ground, Edwina joined Thandi Wines as Vernon’s right-hand man (or rather, lady, in this instance), and ensures that the Thandi office runs as efficiently and effectively as the proverbial well-oiled machine. She thoroughly executes her tasks according to her favourite quotation by Christy Borgeld: “To succeed, you need to take that gut feeling in what you believe and act on it with all of your heart.”