Thursday: 31 July 2003

This site will be updated on: 07 August  2003 at 17:00

Business - Sakenuus

• Studente presteer
• Lindiwe launches wine
• Top tien Pinotages nou minstens jaar oud
• Waterprobleme bespreek
• Wanted: proposal for new Franschhoek Tourism Node
• Tourism business conference beneficial

BY 'n spesiale funksie van Boland Kollege het 14 studente onlangs die International Computer Drivers' Licence (ICDL) sertifikate ontvang. By dieselfde funksie is die Franschhoek Belgiese Ontwikkelingstrust (FBOT) geprys vir sy groot bydrae tot die sentrum en beurse vir studente.

Volgens die hoof van die sentrum, Adolf Joubert, het 33 studente vanjaar ingeskryf vir 145 modules in die gewilde ICDL kursus.

Vyftien van hierdie studente se studies is deur hul werkgewers betaal en hulle is in werktyd opgelei. Twee ander het beurse

YET another milestone has been reached with the grand entrance of the black-owned Lindiwe Wines in the highly competitive and white dominated wine industry of the Western Cape.

A selected range of Lindiwe wines are set to make their first debut on the shelves of Pick 'n Pay from 1 September.

Lindiwe, a label so African, feminine and very rich with meaning, defines the very velvety qualities of a wine that  both budding and polished wine connoisseurs had long awaited, said marketing director Vukile Mafilika, during the launch at the Wine Farmers & Fruit Growers Exhibition at the Cape Town International Convention Centre.

Lindiwe wines is the brainchild of eight previously disadvantaged wine enthusiasts who have gone into a million rand partnership with the KWV-owned Vinnova contract cellar project based in the Robertson region.

In terms of the partnership, directors of ReInvest which is the company that owns the Lindiwe label, and Vin–nova, have entered an agreement in terms of which wines sourced from specific farms will be blended, styled, bottled and packaged according to the specifics of the client.

Vinnova is a KWV centralized vinification concept that offers a contracted service to clients in the wine industry trade. The concept is modelled on the Australian practice known as "custom crushing".

In terms of the operation, KWV clients deliver their grapes to the Vinnova cellar where they are processed in accordance with the individual client's specific requirements.

Lindiwe wines have been exhibited at the London International Wine and Spirit Trade Fair and recently at the Vinexpo in Bordeaux, France where, according to Mafilika they elicited a diverse range of reviews and interest in terms of their quality and the story behind the label.

Apart from the compliment received from the flattered High Commissioner to London, Lindiwe Mabuza, who made a surprise visit to the London Wine Trade Fair, Lindiwe wines have been hailed in wine club circles as another bold step towards economic empowerment in the wine industry.  

The winemaker for Lindiwe wines, Chris Jansen, is himself a black wine enthusiast from Paarl who learnt the tricks of the trade from the Elsenburg Agricultural College before perfecting his skills under the eye of accomplished KWV wine makers. 

According to Mafilika a premium range of Lindiwe wines will soon hit the up-market restaurant tables in the three major provinces of Gauteng, Western Cape and KZN.

The wines are sourced only from farms with good working conditions.

EEN van Suid-Afrika se prominentste wynkompetisies, die Absa Top 10 Pinotage Kompetisie, het vanjaar die voorraadvereiste vir deelname verminder van 250 na 200 kiste, terwyl huidige oesjaar wyne nie ingeskryf mag word nie.

Die sluitingsdatum vir vanjaar se inskrywings is 7 Augustus en die wyn moet dus 'n jaar oud wees om sy ware kleure te wys.

Die eerste Absa Top 10 Pinotage Kompetisie is in 1997 gehou en dit geniet baie belangstelling plaaslik en oorsee omdat Pinotage Suid-Afrika se inheems gekweekte rooiwynvariëteit is.

Dit is ook die enigste kompetisie van sy soort in Suid-Afrika waar tien wenners van 'n spesifieke variëteit aangewys word. Verlede jaar is altesaam 83 wyne uit 19 verskillende produksiegebiede vir beoordeling voorgelê.

"Minstens 2 400 bottels (200 kiste) van die wyn wat ingeskryf is, moet op die perseel van die produsent beskikbaar wees vir verkope wanneer die kompetisie se uitslae op 22 Oktober bekend gemaak word," sê die voorsitter van die Pinotage Assosiasie, Beyers Truter.

Die uitslae van vanjaar se kompetisie word op 22 Oktober tydens 'n noenmaal in die Golden Tulip Lord Charles Hotel op Somerset-Wes bekend gemaak.

Wyne wat vir die kompetisie ingeskryf word, moet deur die Wyn-en-Spiritusraad gesertifiseer wees as 'n Pinotage van 'n bepaalde oesjaar, of by die Raad op rekord wees met die oog op sertifisering.

Nie-lede van die Pinotage Assosiasie mag ook hul wyne vir die kompetisie inskryf. Inskrywingsvorms en die prospektus kan van Pierre Loubser verkry word (tel 855-1128, faks 855-4351 of e-pos pierre.l@mweb.co.za).

DIE Belastingbetalersvereniging van Franschhoek het onlangs met 'n afgevaardigde van die WNNR op Stellenbosch, Grant MacIntosh, vergader, om die dorp se waterprobleme te bespreek.

Die noordelike deel van die dorp ontvang water van die Wemmershoekdam, maar in Franschhoek-Suid, wat sy water uit die Mont Rochelle natuurreservaat ontvang, is daar heelwat klagtes oor waterkwaliteit en -kwantiteit, veral in die somer.

Probleme met kwaliteit is te wyte aan die ouderdom en beperkinge van die pype en damme, is by die vergadering gesê.

Die Munisipaliteit beoog om die probleme aan te spreek met die bou van nuwe watersuiweringswerke aan die voet van die pas op die Fransche Hoek landgoed. Dit sal nog nie die probleem van somerwatertekorte aanspreek nie.

* Voorsitter George Sycamore het ook bekend gemaak dat die aansoek om die L'Aubade Kosmetiese Hospitaal teen die berg te bou, teruggetrek is. Daar was heelwat teenkanting teen die projek.

THE development of the Fransche Hoek Tourism Node on the former commonage is due to start soon, and the developers have invited proposals for culture, environmental or tourism related ventures in the project to be developed at the foot of the pass.

It is envisaged that the Franschhoek tourism node will cater for the discerning tourist and shopper in the upper market segment.

There will be a luxury boutique hotel and wellness spa, cosmetic surgery clinic and recuparation centre, multipurpose banqueting and conference centre, food and wine museum, culinary academy, boutiques, souvenir shops and theme restaurants.

Quality art and crafts will be available at handcraft workshops and studios with crafters' cottages.

Also proposed are a wine cellar, fynbos flower shop and nursery and indigenous fish hatchery.

With Cape Town's V&A Waterfront Company being one of the pioneer investors in the development company Frandevo, the Node will enjoy the benefit of being twinned with the V&A.

This will not be mall type development emptying in the evening, but a vibrant living village with a wide spectrum of attractions, say the developers.

A substantial landscaped leisure area is to be provided with opportunities for fly fishing, golf practice, horse riding, biking and hiking, squash and tennis.

As the gateway to the proposed Boland Biosphere Reserve, the Node will also benefit from eco-tourism opportunities and a breeding centre for endangered local fish.

Interested parties may send their proposals to Francois Steenkamp, PO Box 500 Franschhoek, fax 876-2751 or francois@dsa.law.za. Preference will be given to proposals with  empowerment content.

SOUTH AFRICA's first Tourism Business Conference and Exhibition will be held in Port Elizabeth from August 18 to 20.

From around the country, tourism product owners, tour operators and emerging entrepreneurs together with tourism body representatives and other tourism service providers are preparing to attend this unique event.

With South Africa currently the world's fastest growing tourism destination, the conference's high profile speakers have been briefed is to pump delegates full of practical and hard-to-find market information to help them boost their tourism business.

The much-awaited event is supported by the country's most powerful private sector tourism organisations, Southern Africa Tourism Services Association (SATSA) and the Federation of Hospitality Association of South Africa (FEDHASA).   

The third day of the conference will concentrate on showing emerging entrepreneurs the ropes. Topics to be covered include starting up a tourism business, sharing the benefits of tourism, raising funds for tourism development and promotion, insuring the business and the national star grading system. 

Many tourism bodies are sponsoring their emerging SMMEs to attend.

The full conference programme and booking details are available on the website www.gate7tourism.co.za. For enquiries contact Tersia van Tonder at (041) 373-5964 or fax (041) 373-5974 or tersia@gate-7.co.za.

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