Cultivate is a collective (and company), striving for representation and equity in the South African wine industry. The initiative centres democracy-making in its processes and activities, as it aims to inspire a wine landscape that is made in the image of the people who live and work in South Africa.
Cultivate takes the industry’s transformation challenges into account and provides a comprehensive solution using four interlinking mechanisms: a digital and physical marketplace, a business incubator, a masterclass programme, and a cellar.
The digital marketplace helps winemakers, producers, sommeliers, entrepreneurs and consultants to market their products and services under the collective brand – benefiting from consolidated exposure. A physical marketplace in Cape Town provides access to a tasting room, retail and work spaces, human resources, and cellar storage. Here, Cultivate members have their wines promoted, sold and distributed – and the public can meet them and enjoy their wines in a convenient place.
The business incubator focuses on essential business skills such as financial management, legal and contracting, innovation, internationalisation, business communication and tourism. Masterclasses, one-on-one teaching sessions and inspiration lectures are facilitated by industry experts.
Cultivate was established by Zahira Asmal in 2020 with support from the Julius Baer Foundation. The City’s efforts were supported by a dedicated creative team including Robyn Newham (graphic design), Jonathan Bain (copywriting), Superseed (e-commerce site), Tsai Design Studio (architecture), and Sook Collective (interior design). In June 2022, Zahira transferred leadership of the company to a democratically elected team, who have been steering the initiative ever since.