Women are making a splash in the South African liquor industry. We raise a glass to these four game changers. 

When thinking about alcoholic drinks, which images flood the mind? Which colours takeover? Who fills the space?  

For centuries, the Western world has marketed drinks such as beer, wine and tequila as a drink by men, for men. If you take beer for example, it is often more than a drink. In South Africa, it’s a culture, a psychology and a mindset. Beer symbolises community, bonding and memories. It goes hand in hand with sports and braais on a Sunday afternoon or camping trips.  

Whether the ad says “Champion men deserve champion beer” or “Grootman of laaitie? Vra vir die voile 750ml” (Big man or boy? Ask for the 750ml), beer has flooded our television screens, billboards and now phones — marketed exclusively towards men. This drink is considered the approved drink for men. Ten plus years ago, when women were included in the narrative, they were shown as the prize a man got for enjoying beer. These days, women are included more in adverts as participants in a group, but almost never alone or with other women. These social (earnings harm men too, creating further divides between people. The assumption that only men like beer removes choice while adding pressure. Women are relegated to enjoying wine or cocktails, left out of the idea entirely.  

Despite the heavy damage old-school marketing has done, there are South African women changing this narrative, one brew at a time. Despite making up less than 5% of head brewers or owners in South Africa right now, women were actually once in charge of brewing. In the Xhosa and Zulu culture, women were the makers of umqombothi, a sacred fermented drink that has been around for centuries. It is a thick, tangy drink made using a mixture of maize, sorghum, yeast and water. Low in alcohol but high in nutrients, it was communally enjoyed and considered essential in ceremonies. These brewing techniques were passed down to each generation.  

Aspiring female brewers can take plenty of inspiration from Apiwe Nxusani-Mawela, the first black woman to own a microbrewery in South Africa. “This range of craft beer and ciders pays homage to the female brewers of the African soil, drawing inspiration from the Tolo clan’s rich brewing history” is how Apiwe’s brewery, Tolokazi Beer, describes itself. Using premium indigenous African ingredients such as sorghum, rooibos and perhaps the continent’s most unique hop variety, African Queen, they are brewing up a storm! Making even further strides in the industry, she started the first accredited brewery school in South Africa.  

“I don’t want to be the first and the last”, says Apiwe, who is passionate about empowering other women and preserving the rich heritage of beer-making.  

The upside to the never-ending pursuit for change means more women are breaking the mould, taking up space and calling for more diversity not just in brewing beer, but beyond in the world of wine and spirits. Take this chance to meet three more women changing the game. 

Danielle Schoeman

– Doña Distillery  

After finishing her business degree and powering up in the corporate world, passion pushed Danielle Schoeman down the long, dusty Karoo Road to learn all about tequila. She then took her knowledge and opened Doña Distillery in Cape Town. Meaning ‘women of rank’, Doña comprises a majority women-led team with a goal to create the best spirits in the market.

Doña sources local raw ingredients that are then fermented, distilled, bottled and labelled all in-house by the team. Doña offers authentic tequila called Fuego, produced in collaboration with farms in Jalisco, Mexico, a non-alcoholic butter orange spritz called Harry Spritz as well as a single grain whisky aged in ex-bourbon American oak called Toor.

Last but not least, she’s created an alcohol-free gin called Mahala (de-alcoholised through a process of vacuum distillation). Doña also works with small businesses and start-ups, aiding in product conception, final bottling and distribution. 

Ntsiki Biyela

– Aslina wines 

Ntsiki Biyela of Aslina Wines in Stellenbosch has been producing wine for just over 20 years.  

In addition to the many accolades her wines have received, she has been acknowledged for being the first black woman winemaker and has played a significant part in revolutionising the South African wine business. In addition to producing exceptional wines, she mentors aspiring winemakers at the Pinotage Youth Development Academy in her spare time. She was one of them, after all.  

After working as a domestic worker for a year, Ntsiki, who was born and raised in the KZN community of Mahlabathini, far from the Cape Winelands, received a scholarship to study winemaking at Stellenbosch University in 1999.  

She had never tried wine before arriving at college, and the Afrikaans language instruction was difficult, so she required the assistance of language tutors. But she persisted because she believed that the degree would transform her life.  

Ntsiki’s passion for her craft runs far deeper than just a love for wine — it’s a soulful expression of faith, patience and purpose. For her, making wine is an act of trust: a vision held in her heart long before it touched the vineyard. She dreamed of a skin-fermented Chenin Blanc for years, tasting it in her mind before ever pressing a grape. When the moment finally came in 2021, it wasn’t science that led the process — it was instinct, memory and heart. 

Ntsiki’s greatest inspiration comes from her village and the women who raised her, especially her grandmother. Through winemaking, she honours that legacy — crafting each bottle as a tribute to those who came before her.  

Sarah Kennan

– Leonista 

Sarah Kennan was hungry for a South African tequila that could echo her love for the wild. After travels to Mexico and immersing herself in the world of tequila, she came back invigorated and ready to make her own.

The Karoo was the land of plenty for Sarah, where she found farmers with rolling plains of agave bushes ready to be harvested. Using traditional Mexican processes, the first South African 100% Karoo agave spirit was created. Leonista, meaning ‘lion person’ or ‘lion energy’, opened in 2017 with the motto #rewildyourself. Leonista offers blanco, reposado and black agave spirits, each donning their own well-deserved awards.

Sarah’s other passion is conservation, and Leonista belongs to the NPO 1% for the planet. Leonista has donated 1% of its yearly earnings to Samara Game Reserve, helping to preserve the vital habitat and wildlife.  

By: Sjaan van der Ploeg
Photography by: Getty images, Supplied
Text courtesy of MyKitchen magazine 

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