Luscious green vineyards forming the boundaries of grand wine estates that flow over the hills etched into the rocky mountain slopes above, is certainly not the first image that appears on one’s mind when asked to visualize a scene from Africa, more specifically, South Africa. Generally, people from neighbouring nations have a common perspective, that of, barefoot children playing hopscotch on the dusty earth beneath the scorching sun of some remote village in the Kalahari. That most definitely is true, yet not the only version of South Africa, which remains deeply rooted in its complex cultures and traditions, a land filled with colour and sound. ‘Khai’ wine is an amalgamation of two cultures, two dynamic women from opposite ends of the cultural rainbow, refined with the diversity of their life experiences and infused with their deep passion for people, capturing yet another image of S.A, of pure beauty, a rare gem found nestled in the heart of the Stellenbosch Winelands on the outskirts of Cape Town, South Africa’s ‘Mother City’.
It is said that Africa always brings something new to the world and Ezanne Gouws-du Toit and Lesego Holzapfel, both fierce entrepreneurs, are doing just that. With their shared belief in the untapped potential lying beneath the scorching African sun and the determination to change the narrative in South Africa’s struggling economy, through innovation and the joining of hands, the two embarked on an intriguing journey forming, what they both hope to be, a lifelong partnership. Funnily enough, a collaborative marketing strategy they began with Lesego’s honey and Ezanne’s wine developed into a friendship at first, born out of complete chance when their companies, Bee Loved Honey under the umbrella of Bokamoso Impact Investments (Lesego) and Ernst Gouws & Co. (Ezanne), were chosen to take part in a Manager Training Programme (MTP) sponsored by the Federal Ministry for Economics and Climate Action. The program was designed with the sole aim of promoting business relations between South African and German companies.
Einstein once said that the human race should not only learn to tolerate their differences but welcome them. Wine farms and Steen Bokkies were all she knew from a young age which led Ezanne to falling in love with all things wine. Being the third generation of wine farmers the passion for winemaking ran deep in her veins, somewhat set in her bloodline that gave direction to her life’s journey. She went on to complete a BSc in Oenology and gained industry experience in New Zealand and Germany before joining the family business years ago where she takes on the responsibility of managing all wine exports. On the other side of the diversity rainbow, Lesego Holzapfel, descendant of the Khoisan tribe, the first inhabitants of South Africa, grew up in the Northwest province but was blessed with the opportunity to further her education abroad. She obtained a Master of Science (MSc) in Social Policy and Development through the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) and compliments it with a Bachelor of Arts degree (BA) in International Studies from the City College of New York. She dedicates her life’s mission to empowering communities and promoting diversity and inclusion serving as Chairwoman for the South African-based non-profit, which she co-founded, Raise the Children, that focuses on providing high quality education for orphaned and vulnerable children in South Africa. Lesego is a passionate social entrepreneur involved in numerous initiatives that aim to uplift impoverished communities. She is also the CEO and founder of Bokamoso Impact Investments, a social enterprise dedicated to connecting the impoverished rural communities of South Africa to opportunities, via empowerment, using diverse entrepreneurial platforms.
Ezanne and Lesego, being the dynamic women and driven entrepreneurs that they are, took it upon themselves to embrace their differences, both personal and professional; the result: Khai Wines, a definite conversation starter around the dinner table. Its magnificent colourful label bears elements of Ezanne and Lesego’s history that has become an inspiring African tale, a journey of two successful women, passionate about their country, who rose and cut into the male dominated wine industry and turned their thoughts and ideas into a successful export business. Ultimately, the amalgamation that brought about Khai Wines has enriched both their worlds, their societies and families while setting the perfect scene for a glass of the purest Africa brought to the lips of those who indulge in the tantalizing taste of the Khai wines.