Tonic boost for township alcohol

SOUTH Africa’s first blackowned gin brand Mayine Gin from Khayelitsha has been awarded a R100 000 bursary to help take its business to the next level, culminating in a trip to London’s Juniperlooza Festival on World Gin Day next year.

Owners Luvoyo Jongile, 31, and his wife Nodumo Jongile, 29, launched their product in 2017 and is now available in some Spar Tops outlets in the Western Cape, Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal. They have also just completed a contract with Makro.

The R100 000 will cover a wide variety of sponsorship funding and skills development across craft gin with some of the industry’s leading distillers, as well an integrated entrepreneur development program from Startup School valued at R19 000, four sponsored marketing and sales trips to Johannesburg, gin industry festival and expo tickets, attendance at all Cape Town’s Heavy Chef marketing seminars, one-on-one social media and PR training, and a video rig to document their journey online.

To be launched on World Gin Day, on which the Jongiles will attend their first promotional event with The Gin Box in Joburg, the couple will be flown on all-expenses paid to the world-famous gin festival, Juniperlooza, and mix with some of the world’s biggest names in gin.

Their journey and progress will be shared internationally.

Luvuyo said: “We are so excited to receive this support in so many areas of development. To continue to improve and perfect our gins will be one thing, but to receive the guidance in how to grow our business quickly and improve our marketing is another.

“Nationwide and international exposure is something that we simply didn’t expect. We can’t thank the Gin Box team enough. They didn’t even warn us about their plans.

“The future is looking very bright, based on the reception we’ve received, enquiries as far as Germany and America.

“Our goal is to own a distillery in the heart of Khayelitsha, producing up to 60 000 bottles in the next five to 10 years.

“We want to compete on the level of Distell and branch out with craft whiskey, craft vodka and craft beer and ciders,” Luvuyo said.

Idea originator and donor, Jean Buckham, owner of South Africa’s Premier Craft Gin Club, The Gin Box, said: “The South African Gin Business Bursary is the first of its kind, not just in South Africa, but in Africa, from what we know.

“And it will be the first of many, as we plan to support one up-and-coming artisan within the gin industry every year within this programme.”