Paul Siguqa stood at the podium, looking out at the sea of people waiting to hear him speak. There was barely any standing room in the conference hall—organizers struggled to fit in as many guests as possible. They had underestimated, not expecting such a turnout for this, the first afternoon seminar at Cape Wine’s 2022 exhibition. People—eager to learn about the shift occurring in South Africa’s wine industry and how Black people were leading the transformation—turned out in droves.
Siguqa, the son of a farm laborer, gave an impassioned speech about changing the narrative long bestowed on Black farmers in South Africa. He talked about land ownership, diversifying the value chain and the benefits a more inclusive wine industry could bring for the country’s entire economic landscape.
“If it’s possible for a child of a farm laborer to become a farm owner, then it’s possible for a child of a domestic worker to become a doctor, a scientist—you name it,” he told the crowd.
Siguqa is the owner of Klein Goederust, a nearly 100-year-old brand his family acquired in 2019 and the first and only 100% Black-owned and -operated vineyard and winery in South
