Siwela Sweetness Masoga
Women in Business and Industry
Nominee's Province:
Limpopo
Project Name/Description:
Siwela Wines
Siwela Sweetness Masoga of Ga-Mphahlele in Limpopo fell hopelessly in love with the art of winemaking while studying biotechnology at the Cape University of Technology, Western Cape, between 2010 and 2014. For the past four years, Masoga, 31, the owner of Siwela Wines, a 100% female black- and youth-owned wine company, has been blazing a trail in the wine industry. In 2018, fuelled by a desire to help transform the South African wine industry, she launched her label Siwela Wines, which today produces 10 different wines from entry level to premium wines. Her wine range strives to produce unique and accessible wines that deliver consistent quality. The name Siwela, which means crossing over in Zulu, symbolises a young woman who took a leap of faith into a white- and male-dominated industry and left an indelible mark. Masoga says her biggest business achievements so far are the establishment of her brand’s urban winery in Kempton Park, east of Johannesburg, as well as the massive increase of its wine production volume to 800 000 units annually. “As women, it’s important to work hard, strive to be independent and run our businesses as best we can and challenge the status quo,” says Masoga.
