Socially conscious South African wines win in China

Bayede!'s Prince Red won in the category of Best Red Wine in retail price ranging from 51 to 200 RMB. The wine is produced exclusively for Bayede!, the first "By Appointment" luxury brand and wine range in South Africa.

Williams was delighted at the announcement: "This is a big achievement for Bayede!, the award enriches the profile of the wine, which will result in more people buying it and more jobs being created," he explained.

The King's endorsement

Bayede! was established in 2008 after a meeting between wine farm owners Hansjueurg and Francesca Saager, CEO Antoinette Vermooten and the King of the Zulu nation, King Goodwill Zwelithini. The King was eager to endorse the concept of a powerful social enterprise that could create jobs through the marketing of a range of luxury products under the Bayede! brand, which means "Hail the King" in isiZulu.

The company is increasingly becoming known for Black Economic Empowerment and job creation. Its wines, for instance, are decorated with beadwork crafted by rural women from KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) and the Western Cape, thereby resulting in job opportunities.

Bayede! products currently include a range of wines, clothing and bed linen, leather products, handcraft, beadwork and other items. The product range has been developed with maximum job creation potential in mind.

The Wine Hub Cup Award was awarded by a panel of 11 judges made up of professional wine judges and Chinese wine importers. Feng Weidong, a wine spectator and independent wine reviewer, was among the judges along with Rao Dao, the president of China's International Wine Tasting Association.

Special wine for Zuma

Bayede's wines are growing as a brand, and recently they even developed a special wine for the 70th birthday celebration of President Jacob Zuma.

Bayede is also a participant in the Old Mutual Legends Programme, a business development initiative that supports small businesses through mentoring and skills training, as well running several workshops every year to create a healthy and vibrant small business sector in SA.

Williams was optimistic about the future of Bayede!'s wines, pointing out that there were "46 different bottles of wine from around the world in that category, however it was the The Prince Red that won the award!"