HOME | Adama Wines

WHO WE ARE

Adama Wines is the parent company of the AMANDLA brand. It was founded in 2018 with a unique vision: to empower young, black and female individuals from the Dynasty Trust to manage the business. Initially supported by Distell (now Heineken) through bulk wine trading, this company was shaped by a group of determined women already working in

South Africa's wine industry.

Instead of the traditional approach of producing wine and then finding buyers, they innovatively worked backwards from consumer demands. This unconventional model allowed them to tailor-make their products precisely to market needs by sourcing grapes, crafting wines, and supplying it to exact specifications.

Every facet of Adama Wines reflects its commitment to diversity and empowerment. From viticulture and production to sales and logistics, the entire team is made up of black women.

Through sheer determination and collaboration, these women seized opportunities, overcame challenges, and established a sustainable business. Their resilience and ingenuity have not only defied norms but also positioned them with a powerful advantage: an all-black, all-female managing team producing exceptional wines with a strong sense of provenance.

Since its inception, the business model has developed. Realising the value of the business USP; the launch of own brands: HER Wine Collection (in South Africa and USA)

and AMANDLA wines (in the UK and USA).

SUSTAINABILITY

PROGRESSIVE TOWARD SOCIAL CHANGE & EMPOWERMENT

INNOVATIVE PIONEERS

ACCOUNTABILITY

HEALTHY
RELATIONSHIPS

RESPECT

BUILDING PROSPERITY

WE STAND FOR

What we stand for

WHERE WE COME FROM

Adama Wines is a majority black-owned wine company, that is also 30% owned by women.

Adama Wines is a partnership between Bosman Adama, Apollo Investments and the Dynasty Trust. With this combination of an established historty of viticulture and wine making, experience, skills, pioneering spirit innovation and young energy, Adama Wines is perfectly positioned to be a trailblazer in the industry.

WHAT WE DO

Since 2018 this dynamic group of resilient women have followed an unconventional business model. Instead of making wine and then trying to sell it, they are working the supply chain from the consumer back to the resource which means they will let the customer dictate their requirement and will then respond by sourcing the grapes, making the wine and then supplying it to specifications. Adama Wines has a 30% Black women ownership, and a 55% Black ownership.

"We procure grapes from a number of suppliers (link to farms) and we are also in the process of developing our own vineyards. All our producers are WIETA and IPW accredited. We on-sell to a number of clients for bottling."

Such was their success early on that, in 2020 it became evident that this wine company needed their own brand as well, and so the HER Wine Collection was born which is marketed within South Africa, and Amandla a similar range sold into the UK market.

projects

products

WHAT WE DO

SOCIAL IMPACT

Adama Wines Bursary programme is gaining momentum

The HER Wine Collection team is excitedly following the paths of their first two bursary candidates as they prepare for their first set of exams. The year started in a flurry of administrative activity as deposits were paid, stationary was acquired and laptops were formatted to set up these aspirant young women for success. Great was the anticipation for the start of something new, as for both of them, no-one in their families had ever had the chance to study further.

“While producing female winemakers in South Africa is important,” says HER Wines winemaker Praisy Dlamini, “empowering women to impact all facets of society is paramount. Obtaining a tertiary qualification is so much more than getting the chance to get a higher paying job, it is a chance to learn soft skills like confidence and self-discipline, to network amongst peers on the same journey, to explore the world and find a place in it. This bursary prepares these young women for the world of work in a way that they get to make an impact on it, rather than the other way around.”

“We are committed to walking a path with these two young people,” continues Praisy. “Providing the funding is just part of our contribution, we want to share with them what we have learnt on our journeys thus far, in the hope that they will one day realise their own dreams.”

LeeGail Wagner is studying Marketing at Boland College in Paarl and approaching her exams with an impressive term mark. Her family is really proud of her. Shineen October, her cousin and a farm security guard says: “She did alright at school, but now she is flying. We are all so proud of her!”

Caylin Samuels is studying Educare at Huguenot College in Wellington. Her lecturer describes her as “a hard-working, diligent student who always hands in her tasks on time and is so far topping an average of 80%”. Caylin is currently completing the practical part of her course at a farm crèche near Wellington. She is acting as a teaching assistant to the age 4-5 group and the teacher reports Caylin is bringing in new material from college curriculum which has inspired and motivated her in turn.

* The HER Wine Collection bursary is funded by 2% of the profits from all bottled wine sales.

Invest in empowerment, buy HER Wines.

The HER team is currently in contact with several matriculants to prepare them for their applications for bursaries for next year. This includes one-on-one discussions with each of them to help them articulate their own hopes and dreams and then taking them to visit educational institutions nearby to find out more about what courses and careers are open to them. Says Praisy: “It’s so exciting to see their eyes light up as they begin to consider their futures. I am thrilled we can help even just a few young people achieve their dreams.”