Cape Town township Gugulethu is getting its own wine festival this May, The Tops Gugulethu Wine Festival. The brainchild of Mzoli’s owner Mzoli Ngcawuzele and Lungile Mbalo, the event will take place on the 27 and 28 of this month, on the rooftop of the Gugulethu Square Mall.

“Our vision is taking shape, which is to create local wine awareness amongst the broader population in the Western Cape and provide a highly favourable networking environment for wineries and sponsors that wish to position their brands in the local black community,” says Mzoli.

The festival follows in the footsteps of Jozi’s Soweto wine festival, which has been running successfully for six years. Managing Director of the Cape Wine Academy Marilyn Cooper, who is also a co-founder of the Soweto Wine Festival, has also come on board for this festival to manage the exhibitors, “We are delighted to be in Gugulethu. It is the next Soweto and we know it is an important market to introduce to the wine estates and it is just as important for the residents of Gugulethu to meet their neighbours and experience the wonderful world of wine”. She predicts that the market has the potential to quadruple in the next three to five years.

In addition to a wide range of exhibitors, Nederburg will be there, offering the Wine and Food Theatre experience, giving visitors a chance to learn about food and wine pairing. The festival is expected to attract over 2 000 people is open from 4pm to 9pm on Friday, 27 May and from 3pm to 9pm on Saturday, 28 May. Tickets cost R70 per person and can be purchased at the door on the evening or online at www.webtickets.co.za.

Image: Flickr