LIONESS WEEKENDER COVER STORY
Siwela Wines, a new generation, trail-blazing female black-owned wine business.
Siwela Sweetness Masoga is a biotechnologist, wine maker, and founder of Siwela Wines, a South African wine company focusing on the production of quality accessible wines. Siwela also runs a wine academy focusing on education and training within the wine and hospitality industry. Siwela Wines is currently amongst the few youth female black-owned wine businesses in South Africa and was launched in 2018.
Lioness Weekender spoke to founder Siwela Sweetness Masoga to learn more about her journey in the world of wine and her aspirations for her business in this highly specialized industry sector.
What does your company do?
My company, Siwela Wines, produces and supplies wines, and we also develop and run wine education and training programmes through our academy.
What inspired you to start your company?
My company was established out of my passion for wine, following five years of working within various fields within the wine sector. I developed a tremendous passion for wine and wanted to create a mark, whilst at the same time inspiring young people to be active role players within the wine industry which was previously known to be male and white dominated.
What makes your business, service or product special?
We focus on quality and consistency of our product to ensure that we offer the market both accessible and affordable wines. Our grapes are sourced from the highest quality farmers locally who have been in the industry for many years, allowing us to produce consistent quality wines with sustainability in mind. When it comes to quality, we do not compromise.
Tell us a little about your team
Our team is built up of two full-time employees, myself as a director of operations, our digital marketing strategist, digital content creator, and two part time sales representatives.
Share a little about your entrepreneurial journey. And, do you come from an entrepreneurial background?
I was not born with an entrepreneurial background. My mother is a single parent who is an educator, hence growing up education was perceived as very important and certainly mandatory at home. My entrepreneurial journey was inspired by my passion for the wine industry. It was an industry which I had previously not been knowledgeable about, as where I come from we have no knowledge of, or access to, the wine making industry. The lack of knowledge and my career in biotechnology allowed me to build a career within the wine industry. I have since managed to gain extensive skills from production and quality assurance in wine which gave me the confidence to venture on my entrepreneurial journey. Once I was certain regarding starting my wine business, I decided to quit my job as a laboratory analyst in one of the biggest wine and distribution companies in the world. Although this was a huge risk to take, I still enjoyed building my business to what it is today. My journey began with the production of just 100 bottles of one variety, yet today my range includes 9 different varieties producing approximately 8000 bottles of each variety.
What are your future plans and aspirations for your company?
My plans and aspirations for my business include the focus on building a strong and sustainable brand locally and internationally. Siwela Wines plans to expand in order to increase the production capacity and extend our footprint within neighbouring African countries.
What gives you the most satisfaction being an entrepreneur?
My freedom, watching my business grow tremendously, whilst also creating job opportunities over a short period of time gives me the most satisfaction.
What's the biggest piece of advice you can give to other women looking to start-up?
My biggest piece of advice is to always do what you are passionate about. Being passionate about what you do will always force you to work hard and remain persistent when times get tough.
To find about more about Siwela Wines and its product offerings, contact Siwela and her team via email info@siwelawines.co.za or visit the company’s website and social media platforms.
