Soweto Wine Festival celebrates its 7 th year

When one thinks about South Africa’s wine industry one tends to go no further than the Western Cape Winelands around Cape Town and Stellenbosch. So it may come as some surprise to find out that one of the most popular wine events in the country takes place in Gauteng – Soweto to be exact. The Soweto Wine Festival was launched in 2005 and has grown each year as more people are drawn to the vibrant city to taste the best wines the country can produce. This year marks the 7th festival and over three days, from the 1st to the 3rd September, is expected to attract around 10 000 visitors. It will be held at the Soweto Campus of the University of Johannesburg and will include food and wine pairing classes, wine lounges and a food area. More than 100 wineries will be present with approximately 1000 labels available for tasting. Mnikeolo Mangciphu and Lyn Woodward first thought of the idea of creating a wine festival in Soweto while they were having a braai and drinking wine out of Soweto Beer Festival glasses. The connection seemed obvious, even in the cold light of the next day.

They decided that it was about time that the majority of South Africa’s population were introduced to the joys of wine. They felt that wine should be for everyone and not seen as white South African indulgence.
Mangciphu and Woodward were joined by Marilyn Cooper, who is the Managing Director of the Cape Wine Academy based in Joburg, and who helped turn their vision into a reality. Since then, Mangciphu has opened Morara Wine & Spirit Emporium, the only wine shop in Soweto.
Tickets for the festival cost R100 per night, while R280 will get you in for all three nights. Visit www.sowetowinefestival.co.za for more information.