For decades there was a wave of business types who made the bucks and went into wine, buying farms around Stellenbosch and Franschhoek. FirstRand co-founder GT Ferreira turned Tokara into an award-winning wine estate, and former FNB CEO Michael Jordaan bought Bartinney, which had been his grandfather’s property two generations back.  Now it seems that the world of shiraz and chardonnay might have become a tad passé. If you’ve hit the big time and are looking to spice things up, you’ve got to be more spirited.

Top competition lawyer Anthony Norton has started a gin business, Autograph Distillery, with Marcel von Aulock, who runs Tsogo Sun Hotels, the country’s biggest hotel group. Thing is, they’re still in the thick of high-level demanding jobs with no plans to slow down as they build their new brand, which has already won awards and started exporting overseas.  Their Autograph gin was recently given the Gin Guide Awards’ 2019 prize for best gin in Africa. The brand’s Matthew ...

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