There is more to the South African wine industry than simply producing and selling wine; it’s also about creating lasting change and reshaping societal perceptions.

One of the visionaries behind this transformation is Wendy Petersen, now the CEO of the SA Olive Association (SA Olive), who spent nearly three decades in the industry, using wine as a vehicle for change and empowerment.

“Some of my family members have died and lives have been destroyed because of alcohol abuse. I said that I was going to use wine as a vehicle to do good,” she explains.
This mission is shared by many women in the industry who strive to transform how alcohol is viewed, understood, and consumed. “They want to use wine and the understanding of wine to create something more beautiful for their communities.”

Petersen began her career in 1993 at Stellenbosch Farmers Winery (now Distell) as a technologist in a laboratory. Reflecting on her early days, she says: “I always followed the development team around during trials and experiments, offering my help. This eagerness to learn and contribute soon saw me promoted to head office, where I became involved in product development and innovation.”

Her dedication and skill were instrumental in creating high-profile brands like Savanna, Hunters, Esprit, Amarula, and Bain’s Whisky. Her passion for product development and innovation led her to prominent roles at major organisations like KWV, DGB, and Distell.

However, despite her technical background, she realised the importance of a formal business qualification and pursued a BCom degree in marketing and strategy, which broadened her understanding of business strategies and transformation.

Making waves in international markets

In 2016, Petersen joined Wines of South Africa, where she gained invaluable insights into international marketing, business development, and sales.

“Gaining this knowledge and experience of South African wine brands in the international markets was instrumental in me repositioning my career,” she says.

In 2019 she was appointed to lead transformation at the SA Wine Industry Transformation Unit (SAWITU), a role that perfectly aligned with her passion for economic empowerment and business development.

Transforming the wine industry

In her position as executive manager at SAWITU, she played a pivotal role in driving black business economic development and initiatives to provide market access, mentorship, and growth opportunities to small businesses.

“The launch of The Wine Arc is probably one of the greatest highlights in my career in the wine industry.”

Situated in Stellenbosh, Western Cape, The Wine Arc is a collective marketing vehicle and market access programme that enables black-owned brands to access the market and find innovative ways to reach consumers other than through traditional retail and distribution channels.

“Convincing others that it could be done was one of the hardest things I ever had to do. People didn’t believe that a woman of colour could present and successfully implement a turnkey solution that was so needed in the industry to drive economic empowerment,” she recalls.

Within a year, The Wine Arc became one of the flagship transformation initiatives in the South African wine industry and set an example of what could be done in the space of transformation.

Despite her having to face scepticism and resistance, Petersen’s resilience, determination, and courageous nature saw her through. “When you do something in transformation, it’s not about you. You’re doing it for the greater good of all; it’s something bigger than yourself,” she says.

A revelation

“When I started at SAWITU in 2019, I learnt that most of the businesses were women-owned. For years, I thought it was men who drove entrepreneurship in the wine industry. But it was women, especially black women,” she says.

This realisation sparked a deeper investigation into the root causes behind this trend. Petersen discovered that many women turned to entrepreneurship out of necessity.

“Among other factors, they were tired of the politics and culture of corporate jobs and wanted to explore something that gave them control and created generational wealth for their families,” she explains.

Her talks with women entrepreneurs revealed a common thread: a desire to give back to their communities. “If you empower a woman, you empower an entire community,” she says.

This sentiment is evident in the stories of women who transitioned from teaching to owning a wine brand and continued to mentor and coach in their communities.

A model of empowerment

Similarly, a winemaker and business owner who raises funds and donates a portion of the profits to feed children in underprivileged schools.

Denise Stubbs is CEO of Thokozani, one of the companies that Petersen had the privilege of working with in her career.

“Diemersfontein owner David Sonnenberg and his wife wanted their farmworkers to be part-owners of the farm as part of their legacy,” she explains.

Stubbs was chosen to lead this initiative due to her caring and empathetic leadership style. “The model where farmworkers are trained and skilled to take ownership is intriguing to me. It is a true example of empowerment and transformation, as it involves people who have been part of that farm or business over generations,” she says.

In the world of wine, few stories are as inspiring as that of Stubbs, who has managed to carve out a niche in an industry that is often dominated by long-standing traditions and legacies. A formidable figure at Thokozani, she was the child of agricultural workers in Wellington and is deeply entrenched in the industry.

“I grew up as a labourer’s child. Both my parents worked in the vineyards, and for me, that was all I knew about the wine industry,” she explains.

Reflecting on her childhood, Stubbs shares the harsh realities of the ‘dop system’, a practice where workers were paid in part with alcohol instead of money.

“The hard work that my parents did was compensated for by the bad wine of society. This led to a pattern of hard work rewarded with poor-quality wine,” she says.

Despite these challenges, Stubbs was determined to change her circumstances. She studied fashion and art, excelling in her field, only to face rejection due to her race.

“I was the top student in fashion design, but when I applied for a job, they told me, ‘We don’t appoint people of colour,’” she remembers.

This setback, however, did not deter her. Eventually she found her way into the corporate world, getting a job at Mediclinic, where she gained invaluable experience.

It was here that a chance encounter led to her going back to her roots in agriculture. “A friend suggested I apply for a position at a wine estate in Wellington. I started at Diemersfontein in 2002 with a salary lower than what I earned at Mediclinic, and no benefits, but with a vision to make a difference,” she recalls.

Building Thokozani from the ground up

Stubbs’s tenure at Diemersfontein marked the beginning of Thokozani, a black economic empowerment company aimed at transforming the lives of farmworkers.

“Sonnenberg wanted to create the most ethical empowerment story. He allowed me to take 135 people, do my own due diligence, and build from the grassroots,” she explains.

This approach laid the foundation for Thokozani, where Stubbs implemented an innovative model of ownership and participation for the workers.

“We started with identifying a piece of land and building our own guest house. David allocated 6ha of land to us and took a minority share. It wasn’t about handouts; it was about creating real ownership,” she explains.

Stubbs is candid about the difficulties faced in the transformation process.
“There was fear and resistance. Many workers had only known a life of generational labour. But we built trust through respect and transparency,” she says.

She also tells of the broader challenges in the industry. “The wine industry in the Western Cape is predominantly white owned, with legacies of wealth. True transformation means going beyond tokenism and creating tangible benefits for the workers,” she explains.

Stubbs’s work has been nothing short of phenomenal, breaking barriers and setting new standards. “It breaks my heart when we don’t fit the status quo. We are immediately seen as a threat. On the other hand, it’s such a powerful compliment to be seen as a threat to that,” she adds.

Her sentiment highlights the double-edged sword of visibility and the challenges faced by those who dare to disrupt established norms.

A transformative relationship

The relationship between Thokozani Wines and SAWITU has been transformative since its inception in 2019.

“There was never really a one-stop shop where we, as black-owned brands, could go. Finally, we have this organisation, the South African Wine Industry Transformation Unit, or SAWITU, [which] established its operations in 2018, and Petersen was appointed as operations manager and then as executive manager,” Stubbs says.

Petersen’s direct approach and unyielding support have been pivotal to Thokozani’s growth, especially in international markets.

However, her departure from SAWITU left a significant hole. “When Wendy left, of course, it left a void in this whole bloody industry.

“Her results have proved that Thokozani and Diemersfontein have grown tremendously in the international market. It is because of SAWITU that we could sign new deals abroad,” says Stubbs.

The impact of Petersen’s leadership is evident in the strides Thokozani has made, but the challenges the organisation faces after her tenure remain palpable.

A new chapter with SA Olive

Transitioning from SAWITU to CEO of SA Olives in 2023, Petersen brought with her a wealth of experience and passion for community empowerment.

“This is about broadening my horizons and joining an industry with enormous opportunities at both local and international levels,” she says.

Her dedication to making a positive impact continues to drive her as she navigates this new chapter in her career. Her legacy is not just in the brands she helped create or the businesses she helped to empower, but in the lives she has touched and the path she has paved for future generations.

Email Wendy Petersen at [email protected] and Denise Stubbs at [email protected].