Humble beginning of first 100% Black-owned Boutique Wine Farm – Klein Goederust in Franschhoek

There’s a feeling of exhilaration of victory around the newly transformed Klein Goederust boutique winery in Franschhoek owned by Paul Siguqa and his wife, which opened its doors in December 2021 and is already making its mark in the tourism industry.

In the wake of acquiring the land in 2019, renovating and restoring the 116 year old vineyard and its historic buildings, Siguqa is now the first black man to own a boutique wine farm in Franschhoek. He describes the first 100% black-owned wine farm in Franschhoek as bittersweet.

“The biggest barrier to this industry is access to land because it is expensive. Be that as it may, my significant narrative is being a child of a farm labourer, Nomaroma Siguqa, who worked on a wine farm for 37 years. I took the courage and credits from my mother for urging me to continue with my education in order to break the cycle of being a farm labourer. She is a ‘powerhouse of a woman’, one of a few promoted from the fields to the cellar and who has since retired to the Eastern Cape where she still farming”, says Siguqa.

Siguqa reiterates, “In my own words, a child of a mineworker must be able to own the mines one day. I am a child of a farm worker and I own a farm”.

Growing the economy and creating jobs is the Western Cape Government’s priority.  Klein Goederust currently employs 24 people of which 17 are permanent jobs.  Agri-businesses such as the Klein Goederust Franschhoek Boutique Winery will contribute to further job creation within the agricultural sector in the Western Cape in the near future.

“We couldn’t have achieved this on our own without Government support.  This unlocked our plans and made my childhood dream of owning a farm come true.  We cannot thank Casidra and the WCDoA enough for their assistance and service delivery”, Siguqa ended.