Mkonti wine making waves in Joburg

What started out as a township wine and cheese event has now grown into a lucrative business for Soweto wine founder, Sivile Khanyile who was taking over the township with his unique and significant wine, Mkonti.

Established in 2020 during the hard levels of the lockdown, Khanyile explained how Mkonti was birthed.

“Mkonti started as a concept, thinking how will we introduce wine into our black communities, educating them on how to drink and enjoy it. After seeing the large presence at our wine and cheese events we knew there was a market for wine. When the first alcohol ban was lifted, I received my first 600 wine bottles which were sold instantly just within the Soweto community,” said Khanyile.

Asked what made Mkonti different from its competitors, Khanyile said it was the number of years his wine matured for.

“Our wine is mulled in Stellenbosch and then kept for two years before it is sold to customers. Our taste is different from other brands although it is the same type of wine. That is not the only thing that makes us unique but also our advertising. We base our advertising on word-of-mouth and selling door-to-door. Our customers do not need to drive to us, we come to them,” said Khanyile.

He highlighted that he had no social media platform yet and never hosted an exhibition but has relied on friends and family to spread the word through WhatsApp.

“Mkonti is a melting pot of all cultures, morals and languages of our heritage we take pride in as South Africans. The growth of Mkonti has been phenomenal to witness and live within. This fine bottle of Mkonti wine, was designed to take pride in our South African heritage of being urban and streetwise,” said Khanyile.

To-date Mkonti has been enjoyed by over 500 customers in Soweto and around Gauteng, its flavours included Shiraz, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon and all types of red dry wine.

Khanyile said he planned to grow the number of customers by introducing Mkonti to neighbouring provinces and then to the rest of the world.

“The future is big, I want Mkonti to be the wine the Soweto community enjoys while creating a suitable groundwork around the country. Offers are flooding in form Mpumalanga and Limpopo but with time we will start accepting these,” said Khanyile.