In 2019, Paul Siguqa become one of the crucial first black homeowners of a wine farm within the Franschhoek Valley and established himself as a manufacturer of top rate wine. He talked to Glenneis Kriel about his adventure to good fortune.
Picture: Glenneis Kriel
At the moment, it’s nearly unthinkable that any new farmer can have the monetary method to shop for a farm within the Franschhoek Valley of the Western Cape, as farms right here opt for from R1 million to greater than R2,5 million according to hectare, in keeping with transactions prior to now twelve months.
Paul Siguqa, then again, did simply that after he purchased Klein Goederust for R12 million with cash he stored over 15 years whilst operating within the print media. And to make his tale much more ordinary, Siguqa is the kid of a farmworker.
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He grew up at Backsberg Wine Property in Simonsberg, the place his mom, Nomaroma, to start with labored within the vineyards, and later within the wine cellar the place Hardy Laubscher taught her to make Méthode Cap Classique (MCC) glowing wine, one thing she did for 37 years.
But, having a farmer within the circle of relatives used to be by no means a part of Nomaroma’s imaginative and prescient for her kids. “My mother vowed she will be the final of her circle of relatives to paintings on a farm.
She realised the one solution to get away her destiny could be via schooling, so even if she may now not learn, she at all times scavenged for books, magazines and newspapers. The place different kids were given toys for presents, we were given books,” Siguqa says.
Translating books into Xhosa as he learn, so his mother may additionally perceive, become certainly one of his favorite pastimes, and he believes it additionally very much progressed his comprehension abilities.
His mom additionally taught him to paintings onerous to succeed in his goals.
Siguqa labored within the Backsberg cellar all over faculty vacations and on weekends, and bought fruit as a boulevard hawker to shop for his first automobile and later assist pay for his media research.
As a kid Siguqa didn’t need anything else to do with wine, as he noticed first-hand how the dop machine, which used to be outlawed within the Nineteen Sixties already, ruined the lives of farmworkers on one of the surrounding farms.
“I noticed other people drink, now not as a result of they prefer wine however to put out of your mind and get away from their deficient instances. This in flip ended in alcoholism, home violence, and small children with foetal alcohol syndrome (FAS). The FAS kids by no means stuck up with their wholesome opposite numbers, and so they had been a lot more competitive and not able to be informed in school.”
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Whilst alcohol used to be now not the only contributor, he hated it much more when he noticed the collection of drop-outs in his little farm faculty.
“In our farm faculty, we began with 43 kids in Grade 1. Simplest 12 folks had been left via Grade 7, and best 3 via Grade 12 who controlled to (succeed in) tertiary schooling,” he says.
His perspective to wine modified after he got to work within the Backsberg cellar.
“The wine given to employees used to be a horrible high quality and had top alcohol ranges. On the cellar, I used to be uncovered to a brand new approach of ingesting of wine, for enjoyment, and the artwork that went into the making of excellent wines. It enchanted and [inspired] me to have my very own wine farm,” Siguqa says.
However Nomaroma should not have any of this and inspired him to succeed in past the farm gates. Siguqa studied media research at college and become hired within the newspaper trade and later had his personal communications corporate.
The will to farm, then again, remained with him, so he spoke to his absolute best good friend, Rodney Zimba, who additionally grew up at Backsberg and labored as a winemaker at Noble Hill, about his dream.
Zimba agreed to sign up for Siguqa on his “loopy” adventure, and when Siguqa purchased Klein Goederust, the 2 began creating an idea of the wines absolute best suited for their mission.
“The theory used to be to provide small volumes of premium-quality wines which can be scrumptious and relaxing.
We determined that we’d cap manufacturing at 100 000 bottles as a result of those are the volumes we will with ease set up. We’re recently generating 60 000 bottles,” Siguqa says.
They have got determined to stay the Klein Goederust emblem title, because it used to be already well-established and a part of the historical past of the farm. To make it his personal, then again, Siguqa added his circle of relatives crest, the Southern Flooring hornbill to the label, which indicates just right fortune, knowledge and coverage.
Development the dream
The farm got here with many demanding situations. It had changed into a criminal offense hotspot, so one of the crucial first issues used to be to fence off the land for safety functions. After that, he cleared the garbage that had amassed at the land, a procedure that took nearly a yr.
The vines had been uprooted as they had been critically not noted and affected by leaf-roll virus. “We needed to do away with all of the plant subject material after which fumigate the soil to verify it used to be loose from the virus.” Siguqa says.
Soil research used to be carried out to spot and proper dietary imbalances, drainage used to be put in to stop water-logging and authorized virus-free vines had been planted from 2020 onwards on 6,5ha of the 10ha belongings, according to suggestions from their viticulture advisor, Johan Viljoen.
The types come with Chardonnay, Shiraz, Chenin Blanc, Sémillon, Mourvèdre, Grenache Blanc and Pinot Noir. “Other folks stated the area is just too sizzling for Pinot Noir, however the selection has been doing strangely effectively to this point,” Siguqa says.
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The Western Cape Division of Agriculture and South African Wine Business Transformation United assisted Siguqa in 2021, with the substitute of irrigation, a tractor, the planting of one of the new vineyards in addition to advertising and marketing and marketplace get admission to.
The provincial division helped him to use for investment from the Division of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Building for the development of a boutique cellar. Siguqa expects the cellar to be completed via the top of the yr.
“Up till now we’ve been renting cellar house. Having our personal cellar will assist to cut back logistics and winemaking prices and provides us a chance to show vacationers to the wine-making procedure,” Siguqa says.
The 2 ancient structures at the farm, in-built 1905 and 1920 respectively, have additionally been restored and changed into eating places, one with a tasting room and administrative center house.
Actually South African revel in
As an alternative of following the fine-dining pattern, Siguqa determined to provide consumers a in reality South African revel in on the eating place, via providing a spitbraai buffet, “the place other people can revel in a decent-sized plate of conventional South African meals, ubuntu-style”.
At the day of the interview, the menu incorporated curried fish, candy potato rolls in caramel sauce, Karoo lamb on a spit and barbecued rooster with “roosterkoek” for R495 an individual.
On the tasting venue, there’s an choice to shop for stunning cheese forums to savour with Klein Goederust’s delectable wines. The eating place is open from Fridays to Sundays and draws foreigners in addition to locals.
“Many of us cross at the Franschhoek Wine Tram, with the theory of spending an hour at each and every farm, after which finally end up staying right here the entire day. Some even keep after the final tram has arrived after which cross house with an Uber,” Siguqa says.
Promoting the dream
Because the vineyards needed to be uprooted, Siguqa to start with had to herald grapes for the wine-making procedure, and the volumes he purchased were lowered as his vineyards got here into manufacturing.
Their wines were successful available in the market, with their flagship wine, the Nomaroma MCC, named after Siguqa’ s mother who tastes and approves all their wines sooner than they’re launched, promoting out inside 60 days. The MCC recently sells for just below R700 according to bottle from the farm.
“Everyone desires to know the way we set up to promote our MCC for this type of top worth. I feel it actually boils right down to balancing high quality with volumes, and providing a novel ingesting revel in,” Siguqa says.
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He provides that it counts in his favour that he does now not have any farm debt.
“Having been ready to shop for the farm money and now not having any debt has made issues so much more uncomplicated, as I’m really not confused via top rates of interest and will do what I need to do with no need to be responsible to the financial institution or a industry spouse.”
Enhance
His recommendation to new entrants is to get a mentor: “My farm is correct subsequent to Los angeles Motte, and I’ve been lucky that Hein Koegelenberg and Hanneli Rupert were mentoring me,” he says.
“Different farmers within the space also are at all times in a position to assist when they’re wanted.
“Errors can also be the top of a small farmer like me, so it’s higher to enclose your self and be told from individuals who have already paid the varsity charges.”
Klein Goederust goes from power to power. Siguqa final yr received the Western Cape’s Agricultural Writers New Entrant to Business Farming Award, and the Best possible of Wine Tourism Ambassador Awards’ Original South African Revel in 2023.
Then again, what makes him much more excited is that he has been ready to develop his group of workers from 5 to 24 employees, all locals, and all paid above the minimal salary.
“It’s superb that I will reside my farming dream, however I am hoping that my good fortune
will assist to switch the narrative for farmworkers and display them that they may be able to additionally succeed in anything else in the event that they paintings onerous for it,” Siguqa says.
Electronic mail Paul Siguqa at [email protected].