Not all doom and gloom in SA’s wine industry
A Danish journalist’s scathing documentary on lack of transformation in the sector does little to help workers, write Rico Basson and Siobhan Thompson
Recent depictions in the media of the South African wine industry as being rife with injustices are disappointing. The industry has made significant economic and social progress since joining global markets and has committed to achieving transformation and social development targets. There is still a long row to hoe, but this is a journey that the industry and its stakeholders have embraced. Danish journalist Tom Heinemann highlighted the social ills in a recent documentary with the unfortunate and highly emotive title — Bitter Grapes: Slavery in the Vineyards. His account of atrocities in the wine industry aired in Denmark and Sweden, resulting in some South African wines being removed from retail stores in Denmark. An investigation by labour experts, commissioned by VinPro, showed that notable inaccuracies were reported, particularly pertaining to claims about worker wages, dismissals, deductions and housing. While Heinemann visited a fraction of the Cape winelands several times, ...
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