AFRICAN beads tell many a tale. They talk of healing and healers, history and tradition. Beadwork defines politics, religion and status. It also expresses artistic attitude.
The beaded tags attached to bottles of Bayede! wine, however, tell the story of a king, an entrepreneurial former magistrate, SA’s largest family-owned winery and their collective quest to create more jobs.
Antoinette Vermooten was "on sabbatical" from her legal career when, while working at Eikendal Wine Estate between Somerset West and Stellenbosch, she met King Goodwill Zwelithini. They discussed their concerns about high unemployment and hatched a plan to create jobs by producing a range of luxury products endorsed by the king and bearing the royal crest. Thus emerged the Bayede! trademark.
Bayede is an ancient Zulu greeting that means "hail the king".
It was first used as a brand in 2008 when, coinciding with the king’s 60th birthday, the inaugural range of "by appointment to King Goodwill Zwelithini" Bayede! wines was released.
In addition to incorporating the royal crest and the king’s signature as part of its packaging, beadwork is attached to the neck of each bottle. This is handmade by six beading groups comprising about 300 crafters from rural areas in KwaZulu-Natal, Gauteng, Mpumalanga, Gauteng and the Western Cape.
"The idea of including the beads as part of the packaging is three-fold: it adds novelty and value to the wine, tells a story about the wine’s African legacy and, most importantly, provides a vehicle to market for product and creates employment for hundreds of South Africans," says Vermooten. "Last year, crafters were paid R300,000 for beadwork supplied for Bayede wines."
The initial range of Bayede! wines comprised seven varietals selected from leading wine farms, including Anthonij Rupert, Tokara, Vergelegen, De Grendel, Kleine Zalze, Danie de Wet and Beyerskloof.
But Vermooten’s ambition for the project and her sales prowess soon made it necessary to team up with a wine producer equipped to provide greater volumes.
Having dealt with buyers at Massmart, she caught wind of Walmart’s interest in the group in 2010 and Vermooten had another brainwave.
"It occurred to me that, with Walmart wanting to invest in Africa through Massmart, the group might have an international interest in Bayede! and our plans for the brand," she says.
"The Small Enterprise Development Agency invited me to attend the University of Wisconsin Business School. While I was there, I took the three-hour flight to Bentonville (where Walmart’s head office is located) to introduce Bayede! and tell decision-makers what the project is all about."
...
WALMART’S buyers liked what they heard. Bayede!’s aim to create jobs struck a chord, and the wine and the story it told were deemed desirable. Vermooten’s research indicated that China, which is considered a difficult market to crack by many South African winemakers, would be a good fit for Bayede!. Walmart concurred and placed its first Bayede! order for 400 stores in China in 2013.
Shortly thereafter, Vermooten made the most of another a trip abroad. This time, on tour with the Department of Trade and Industry, she met Walmart executives in Brazil. The meeting resulted in Bayede! wines being listed in 40 Walmart stores in that country.
She also concluded export agreements in Russia, Germany, Cameroon, Angola and Ghana. More than 600,000 bottles of Bayede! have been sold to date.
With demand having grown rapidly in a short time, Vermooten had to consider a new model for production. "Suddenly we needed a winemaking partner equipped to produce high volumes of wine worthy of the king’s signature quickly. It made sense, logistically, to streamline operations and work with one producer."
Robertson-based Van Loveren Family Vineyards is SA’s largest family-owned winery. The business has been in the Retief family since 1937 and, three generations down the line, is managed by four cousins, with Phillip Retief as chief operating officer.
There are six categories of Van Loveren wines, each of which tells a different story. The premium Christina van Loveren range is named for the wife of the first winemaking Retief, and the Four Cousins series for the current executive team.
The Van Loveren range is the most extensive. Papillion is a collection of sparking wines. Five’s Reserve is a Fairtrade-certified range and the Tangle Tree series is, says Phillip Retief, "magnanimous towards nature in eco-friendly polyethylene terephthalate (Pet) bottles".
Van Loveren’s penchant for storytelling brands, and the winery’s track record as a successful wine producer and its capacity for large production, brought Vermooten to its door.
...
THE Retief family liked what they heard. The consistency and quality standards set down for Bayede! wines gelled and they recognised an opportunity to grow their own export business down the line.
Moreover, the winemakers responded positively to Bayede!’s aim to create jobs by incorporating beadwork in the packaging. A joint venture was formed and former international winemaker of the year and cellarmaster and managing director of Boland Kelder, Altus le Roux, was brought on board as consulting winemaker for the brand.
"Like all healthy joint ventures, our partnership with Bayede! is about mutual benefit," says Retief. "We liked the Bayede story and saw that it would fit in well with our business and our approach to winemaking. We also recognised it as commercially valuable in terms of our strategy and plans for the future."
Van Loveren vineyards supply all the grapes for Bayede. The wine is vinified and bottled in the Van Loveren cellar according to specifications agreed on by Vermooten and her clients under the watchful eye of Le Roux. But the wine estate is more than a supplier.
As a start-up with limited resources, Bayede! was grateful when Van Loveren agreed to purchase the required beadwork from crafters as part of the packaging for the wine.
Not only does this help the marketing company manage its cash flow better, says Vermooten, it underscores the fact Van Loveren understands the significance of the beads and the beaders venture, both in terms of the story the beads tell about the wine’s legacy and, critically, the role they play in creating jobs.
"The joint venture with Van Loveren was a big breakthrough for us," she says. "We’re driven by the desire to do something that benefits many people.
"We want to create opportunities where there are none and work with people and companies who recognise the difference they can make.
"At present, there are more than 100 entities involved with the brand. The king calls Bayede! a ‘national asset’ and we’re set on ensuring as many people as possible benefit from it."
Antoinette Vermooten in front of the Bayede! wine range, boasting King Zwelithini's family crest. Picture: DOMINIC PREUSS
AFRICAN beads tell many a tale. They talk of healing and healers, history and tradition. Beadwork defines politics, religion and status. It also expresses artistic attitude.
The beaded tags attached to bottles of Bayede! wine, however, tell the story of a king, an entrepreneurial former magistrate, SA’s largest family-owned winery and their collective quest to create more jobs.
Antoinette Vermooten was "on sabbatical" from her legal career when, while working at Eikendal Wine Estate between Somerset West and Stellenbosch, she met King Goodwill Zwelithini. They discussed their concerns about high unemployment and hatched a plan to create jobs by producing a range of luxury products endorsed by the king and bearing the royal crest. Thus emerged the Bayede! trademark.
Bayede is an ancient Zulu greeting that means "hail the king".
It was first used as a brand in 2008 when, coinciding with the king’s 60th birthday, the inaugural range of "by appointment to King Goodwill Zwelithini" Bayede! wines was released.
In addition to incorporating the royal crest and the king’s signature as part of its packaging, beadwork is attached to the neck of each bottle. This is handmade by six beading groups comprising about 300 crafters from rural areas in KwaZulu-Natal, Gauteng, Mpumalanga, Gauteng and the Western Cape.
"The idea of including the beads as part of the packaging is three-fold: it adds novelty and value to the wine, tells a story about the wine’s African legacy and, most importantly, provides a vehicle to market for product and creates employment for hundreds of South Africans," says Vermooten. "Last year, crafters were paid R300,000 for beadwork supplied for Bayede wines."
The initial range of Bayede! wines comprised seven varietals selected from leading wine farms, including Anthonij Rupert, Tokara, Vergelegen, De Grendel, Kleine Zalze, Danie de Wet and Beyerskloof.
But Vermooten’s ambition for the project and her sales prowess soon made it necessary to team up with a wine producer equipped to provide greater volumes.
Having dealt with buyers at Massmart, she caught wind of Walmart’s interest in the group in 2010 and Vermooten had another brainwave.
"It occurred to me that, with Walmart wanting to invest in Africa through Massmart, the group might have an international interest in Bayede! and our plans for the brand," she says.
"The Small Enterprise Development Agency invited me to attend the University of Wisconsin Business School. While I was there, I took the three-hour flight to Bentonville (where Walmart’s head office is located) to introduce Bayede! and tell decision-makers what the project is all about."
...
WALMART’S buyers liked what they heard. Bayede!’s aim to create jobs struck a chord, and the wine and the story it told were deemed desirable. Vermooten’s research indicated that China, which is considered a difficult market to crack by many South African winemakers, would be a good fit for Bayede!. Walmart concurred and placed its first Bayede! order for 400 stores in China in 2013.
Shortly thereafter, Vermooten made the most of another a trip abroad. This time, on tour with the Department of Trade and Industry, she met Walmart executives in Brazil. The meeting resulted in Bayede! wines being listed in 40 Walmart stores in that country.
She also concluded export agreements in Russia, Germany, Cameroon, Angola and Ghana. More than 600,000 bottles of Bayede! have been sold to date.
With demand having grown rapidly in a short time, Vermooten had to consider a new model for production. "Suddenly we needed a winemaking partner equipped to produce high volumes of wine worthy of the king’s signature quickly. It made sense, logistically, to streamline operations and work with one producer."
Robertson-based Van Loveren Family Vineyards is SA’s largest family-owned winery. The business has been in the Retief family since 1937 and, three generations down the line, is managed by four cousins, with Phillip Retief as chief operating officer.
There are six categories of Van Loveren wines, each of which tells a different story. The premium Christina van Loveren range is named for the wife of the first winemaking Retief, and the Four Cousins series for the current executive team.
The Van Loveren range is the most extensive. Papillion is a collection of sparking wines. Five’s Reserve is a Fairtrade-certified range and the Tangle Tree series is, says Phillip Retief, "magnanimous towards nature in eco-friendly polyethylene terephthalate (Pet) bottles".
Van Loveren’s penchant for storytelling brands, and the winery’s track record as a successful wine producer and its capacity for large production, brought Vermooten to its door.
...
THE Retief family liked what they heard. The consistency and quality standards set down for Bayede! wines gelled and they recognised an opportunity to grow their own export business down the line.
Moreover, the winemakers responded positively to Bayede!’s aim to create jobs by incorporating beadwork in the packaging. A joint venture was formed and former international winemaker of the year and cellarmaster and managing director of Boland Kelder, Altus le Roux, was brought on board as consulting winemaker for the brand.
"Like all healthy joint ventures, our partnership with Bayede! is about mutual benefit," says Retief. "We liked the Bayede story and saw that it would fit in well with our business and our approach to winemaking. We also recognised it as commercially valuable in terms of our strategy and plans for the future."
Van Loveren vineyards supply all the grapes for Bayede. The wine is vinified and bottled in the Van Loveren cellar according to specifications agreed on by Vermooten and her clients under the watchful eye of Le Roux. But the wine estate is more than a supplier.
As a start-up with limited resources, Bayede! was grateful when Van Loveren agreed to purchase the required beadwork from crafters as part of the packaging for the wine.
Not only does this help the marketing company manage its cash flow better, says Vermooten, it underscores the fact Van Loveren understands the significance of the beads and the beaders venture, both in terms of the story the beads tell about the wine’s legacy and, critically, the role they play in creating jobs.
"The joint venture with Van Loveren was a big breakthrough for us," she says. "We’re driven by the desire to do something that benefits many people.
"We want to create opportunities where there are none and work with people and companies who recognise the difference they can make.
"At present, there are more than 100 entities involved with the brand. The king calls Bayede! a ‘national asset’ and we’re set on ensuring as many people as possible benefit from it."
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