Gin master awarded R100 000 bursary

THE owners of SA’s first blackowned gin brand, Mayine Gin, from Khayelitsha, have been awarded a R100 000 bursary to help take their business to the next level, culminating in a trip to London’s Juniperlooza Festival next year on World Gin Day.

Owners Luvuyo Jongile, 31, and his wife Nodumo, 29, launched their product last year and it is now available in some Spar Tops outlets in the Western Cape, Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal. They have also just signed a contract with Makro.

The money will cover a wide range of sponsorship funding and skills development across craft gin, with some of the industry’s leading distillers and an integrated entrepreneur-development programme from Startup School valued at R19 000.

Others are: four sponsored marketing and sales trips to Johannesburg; gin industry festival and expo tickets; attendance at Cape Town’s Heavy Chef marketing seminars; oneon-one social media and PR training; and a video rig to document their journey online.

Launched on World Gin Day on Saturday, when Luvuyo attended his first promotional event with The Gin Box in Illovo, Johannesburg, the bursary will conclude 12 months later, with an all-expenses-paid trip to the worldfamous gin festival, Juniperlooza.

Luvuyo’s journey and progress will be shared internationally.

Luvuyo said: “I am so excited to receive all this support in so many areas of development.

“To continue to improve and perfect my gins will be one thing, but to receive the guidance in how to grow my business quickly and improve my marketing is another.”