In South Africa, the wine sector remains mainly in the hands of the white population, leaving little room for young people from townships and disadvantaged backgrounds. However, a promising initiative is changing the situation. The Pinotage Youth Development Academy (PYDA) trains students from these backgrounds in wine careers, providing them with an opportunity to make their way in this industry.
Each year, for nine months, around fifty students are trained by the academy. These young people, who have often had difficulty continuing their studies after secondary school, find here a unique opportunity to train in the wine industry. For Rudy Oosterwyk, who works on innovation within the academy, this initiative is essential to fundamentally transform the wine sector. Indeed, despite some success stories, economic structural changes are slow to be felt in South Africa.
The aim of the PYDA is therefore to develop competent and qualified South African workers, so that they are not hired simply because they are black, but because they are talented. This approach will increase the representation of black South Africans in the wine industry, while ensuring product quality.
PYDA students are encouraged to broaden their horizons and experiment with new tastes and flavors. For many of them, it’s about discovering foods and flavors they’ve never been exposed to before. This takes some learning, but it allows them to expand their knowledge and expertise in the wine field.
Among the graduates of the academy, some already have ambitious plans for the future. Some dream of creating their own wine brand, while others plan to work abroad before returning to South Africa to start their own winery. These young people are driven by a passion for wine and are determined to make a difference in the industry.
The PYDA initiative has already trained nearly 500 students and continues to offer training programs in the tourism and agriculture sectors. This holistic approach allows young people to develop a broad range of skills and perspectives, which best prepares them for a successful career in the wine industry.
In short, the PYDA offers young South Africans from townships and disadvantaged backgrounds the opportunity to turn their passion for wine into a thriving career. By training competent and qualified workers, this initiative helps to make the wine industry more inclusive and more representative of the diversity of the South African population.