RAISING A GLASS TO PAUL SIGUQA

AGE: 42

HOMETOWN: Franschhoek

ON HIS EARLY MEMORIES OF WINE: Wine has always been part of my life. Vineyards surrounded my home and the change of season would be evident in the changes we would see on the vines. Harvest season brought a level of excitement and celebration. Some of my earliest memories are of being in the cellar where my mother worked as a labourer, the smell of fermenting wine and the smell of ageing wine in the maturation cellar. My love for wine started when I got my first holiday job in the tasting room at Backsberg Family Wines.”

ON CONFRONTING SOUTH AFRICA’S PAINFUL HISTORY FOR A BETTER

FUTURE: “The history of apartheid, segregation and oppression is painful, and the people of the winelands carry that with them – especially with the legacy of the dop system (where farm labourers were compensated with cheap wine). The biggest barrier for Black people in the industry is access to land. Land is economic freedom, and until we have access to land, we have not yet seen uhuru (freedom). We must change the narrative, and the only way to do that is by empowering ourselves through education and knowledge and moving into spaces that we were not allowed into historically. The wine industry is such a space, and the future of it can only be bright if it is diverse.”

ON WHAT DREW HIM TO THE KLEIN GOEDERUST FARM: “I was drawn to this farm in particular because of the location. We are right on the main road into Franschhoek, which is home to some of the best brands and greatest farmers in the wine industry. Being amongst giants was attractive, although intimidating. There is no room for mediocrity and inferior wine brands in this space. When I first saw the farm, it was rather run-down, and I knew it would take plenty of work and resources to restore it – but it was all we could afford at the time. However, we couldn’t have asked for a better home.”

ON WORKING WITH HIS BEST FRIEND, WINEMAKER RODNEY ZIMBA: Rodney is not just an amazing wine maker, he is also a remarkable human. He had complete belief in my vision and risked it all by quitting a job of 27 years to join a Black-owned start-up wine business. We have known each other since childhood, and it helps that we have the same wine palate. We both believe in quality over quantity and share a vision when it comes to our wines. We produce premium wines, each bottle proudly marked with the southern ground hornbill (my family clan totem) and the iconic fleur-de-lis symbol.”

ON THE FUTURE AND LEGACY OF KLEIN GOEDERUST: “We would like to acquire more land, broaden our wine offering and build a production facility on the farm. We would also like to add a hotel to the farm to complement our amazing restaurant, the Klein Goederust Boutique Winery. We’d like to leave a legacy of hope. One that is full of possibilities and shows that if children of farm labourers can buy a farm and successfully run it, the children of mine workers in Gauteng, Limpopo, North West and Mpumalanga can also own the mines and run them successfully.