Stellenrust shows what real empowerment looks like in Stellenbosch

In 2010, when South Africa was in the throes of World Cup fever, a wine farm in Stellenbosch was busy changing people’s lives. Not with its latest Chenin (although you’d be forgiven for thinking it could be). No, the Stellenrust owners and management team were crafting what has turned out to be an extremely sustainable ownership scheme for the farm’s workforce. 

Stellenrust is one of Stellenbosch’s most established wine farms. Founded in 1928, it has spent nearly a century building a reputation for wines that travel far beyond our borders, with exports to more than 30 countries and regular recognition in local and international competitions. From its Old Bush Vine Chenin Blancs to reds grown in the Golden Triangle and Bottelary Hills, the estate is known for serious viticulture and disciplined winemaking.

But beyond the bottles and accolades, Stellenrust tells a quieter, but way more important story. It is a working example of what real economic empowerment can look like when it is approached with intent, patience and integrity.

More than 15 years ago, the owners of Stellenrust took a decision that still sets the farm apart. Around 100 hectares of productive land were transferred into a worker trust, giving approximately 70 long-serving permanent employees a genuine stake in land ownership. This was not a symbolic share scheme or a short-term compliance exercise. It was a long-term commitment to shared value, rooted in assets that matter.

Winemaker Tertius Boshoff says the thinking behind the decision was simple but deliberate.

“We wanted empowerment to be meaningful and sustainable, not something that looked good on paper for a few years,” he explains. “Land is at the heart of farming. If people are going to be empowered in agriculture, it has to be connected to ownership, responsibility and long-term participation.”

The workers involved did not become passive beneficiaries of someone else’s success. They became active participants in a system that generates income, builds intergenerational security and creates a sense of dignity linked directly to the performance of the farm itself.

The structure also underpins Stellenrust’s Fairtrade certification, reinforcing ethical labour practices and ensuring that value flows back to those who help create it.

For farm employees Christiaan Heneke and Maria Hans, the trust is a game changer.

“For us as farm employees, the trust changes everything,” says Christiaan. “BEE is not just a concept on paper, it represents hope, dignity and real upliftment. It gives us a sense that we are part of something bigger, something that is building a better future for all of us.”

Maria agrees, adding: “This is a meaningful step forward for me and for my children. It brings a sense of security and possibility, knowing that our future can look different, and better, because of opportunities like this.”

These outcomes matter. Much of South Africa’s transformation conversation lives in policy documents and conference speeches. Stellenrust shows what happens when empowerment is grounded in real assets, time and trust.

“The impact is practical and visible,” says Tertius. “Greater household stability. Improved access to education. A sense of future beyond a monthly wage. These are not abstract ideals. They are lived realities.”

Crucially, none of this has come at the expense of quality or commercial success. Stellenrust continues to perform strongly as a wine business, remaining competitive in demanding export markets while maintaining high standards in the cellar and vineyards.

Tertius is clear that empowerment and excellence are not opposing forces.

“There is a misconception that transformation somehow compromises quality,” he says. “Our experience has been the opposite. When people are invested, they care deeply about the outcome.”

This is exactly the kind of model that Stellenbosch as a town, and its municipality, should be actively supporting and promoting.

“Stellenbosch trades on its image of heritage, excellence and innovation,” says CN&CO founder Carel Nolte, who is also the chairperson of the Blaauwklippen Valley Security Forum. “This is innovation; quiet, thoughtful and effective innovation that aligns economic success with social responsibility.”

Carel adds that tourism bodies, industry leaders and local government should be telling this story more often, “… not as a marketing slogan, but as proof that long-term thinking works. If more farms and businesses followed this path, the cumulative impact on employment stability, community cohesion and local economic resilience would be profound.”

The Stellenrust model reminds us that the real value of Stellenbosch lies not only in its landscapes or its wines, but in the people who make those wines possible.

“Empowerment that shares ownership, builds capability and stands the test of time is worth celebrating,” says Tertius. “Not because it is fashionable, but because it works!

“This is not a textbook case study. It is a living example, right here in our valley, and it deserves attention, support and respect.”