The wine festival is now considered the most popular lifestyle festival of its kind in Soweto and has one of the highest growth rates, year on year, to similar lifestyle shows in South Africa. With over 300% growth in visitor attendance since 2005, this festival is setting trends that are representative of Soweto as a burgeoning suburb of Johannesburg.
It provides residents of Soweto with opportunities to learn about wines and wine tasting within their environment. Simultaneously, this festival provides economic value to South African wine producers by introducing South African wines to new markets via education and interaction, which in turn increases local consumption and sales.
"We have invested in Soweto for decades with initiatives such as the Wine Festival, Soweto Festival and the Gauteng Business Leader of the Year awards being only a few examples," says Hannah Sadiki, Gauteng Provincial Director for Standard Bank.
The 2009 Soweto Festival opens this Friday, 4 September, and runs until the evening of Saturday, 5 September.
