About Us
South Africa Wine is a newly created non-profit company that, from 1 July 2023, provides critical support services to the wine and brandy industry value chain players to enable the industry to become more robust, transformed, agile and competitive. Our role is to, in partnership with other stakeholders, promote the interests of the wine industry with key stakeholders and to provide services to industry players that enable the achievement of the industry’s strategic objectives. The purpose of South Africa Wine is to optimise our diverse resources to deliver sustainable value to all stakeholders with the strategic outcomes of a transformed & responsible value chain, a loyal and growing local market base, an established & enviable position in the global market and sustainability at the core of all we do.
South Africa Wine works in close collaboration with various Government departments and a number of other industry stakeholders.
South Africa Wine Research, Development and Innovation (RDI) is one of the departments in South Africa Wine. It was previously an independent South African wine industry body that was originally conceptualised in 1996 and formally registered as a non-profit association in 1998. In 2018 the Wine Industry Network of Expertise and Technology NPC (trading as Winetech) was officially registered as a non-profit company. On 1 July 2023, it became part of South Africa Wine.
What we do
South Africa Wine RDI collaborates closely with various industry stakeholders, including wine producers, winemakers, researchers, and academic institutions. Its primary goal is to support the wine industry by funding research projects, providing technical expertise, and facilitating knowledge exchange to address critical challenges and unlock new opportunities in the industry.
This department allocates significant resources to fund research projects spanning various domains within viticulture and oenology. These projects focus on vineyard management, pest and disease control, grape and wine quality improvement, climate change adaptation, water efficiency, and other sustainable production practices. Investing in cutting-edge research, the department aims to equip the industry with the latest scientific knowledge and innovative techniques to enhance productivity, sustainability, and market competitiveness.
Our vision
To help create a wine industry that recognises and uses science and technology as foundation stones for its success.
Our mission
To identify, prioritise, commission, complete and transfer research, development and innovation projects/initiatives that will directly contribute to strengthening the profitability and competitiveness of the industry in the local and international markets.
Our people
South Africa Wine Research, Development and Innovation Personnel
GERARD MARTIN
Research, Development & Innovation Executive
ANEL ANDRAG
Research, Development & Innovation Manager: Viticulture
DR ADRIAAN OELOFSE
Research, Development & Innovation Manager: Oenology
DR KARIEN O’KENNEDY
Knowledge Transfer Manager: Oenology
BRIGITTE CYSTER
Office Administrator
Our strategic intent
Our strategic intent is to deliver Research, Development and Innovation outcomes that are highly valued and sought after by the industry in general and the pace setters in particular.
Our core objectives
The objectives of the RDI Department of South Africa Wine are sixfold, namely:
- To commission relevant research, innovation and technology transfer across the total wine industry value chain;
- To support and guide the wine industry with expertise and environmentally sustainable technologies to produce cost-effective and quality-driven wines, brandy and grape-spirit products;
- To provide access for relevant training and education for individuals in the RDI sector of the industry – at all levels in terms of skills, knowledge and insight development; and to facilitate the development of new entrants;
- To facilitate the implementation of relevant innovative research outputs and technological developments for commercial value;
- To establish a culture of innovation and discovery within the industry;
- To create global collaborative networks of scientific and technological expertise to provide world-class leadership to the wine industry.
OUR COMMITMENT TO SUSTAINABILITY
Ensuring the long-term sustainability and profitability of the South African wine industry is South Africa Wine RDI’s core purpose. Read more here
