The Real Housewives of Cape Town (RHOCT) star and founder of Thato Wines Thato Montse recently shared insight on her empire, the challenges in the industry and taking the wine brand on a global scale.
Currently in the UK on a mission to expand the Thato Wine brand on an international level, the RHOCT star recently spoke to BONA about all things wine, being a woman in 2023 and her time at the RHOC.
Thato shared that she studied Marketing at CPUT and later moved to Vega to do Brand Communication, Brand Innovation and Design Thinking. That’s when she came across a person who encouraged her to look into the wine industry as a business.
After studying at a few institutions, including Stellenbosch University, the entrepreneur ended up obtaining a four-year Diploma in Wine from the Cape Wine Academy.
Sharing what she wanted to create when she birthed the wine brand, the businesswoman stated that she wanted to celebrate her culture and embrace her heritage. She also shared that her aim was to build a wine brand that would connect her with her target audience and form part of her human-centered approach.
When asked what her thoughts about the wine industry are now that she forms part of it, Thato shared that the wine industry is “very European and very conservative.” She added that it is also predominantly white, older males with a lot of money, making it difficult for small entrepreneurs to compete.
When asked if the wine industry is receptive and inclusive of women, Thato quickly responded saying it is definitely not, adding that the wine industry is one of the most closed industries that would rather see a certain race retain its ownership for a very long time.
She added that “we don’t own the value chain,” pointing to a study she previously conducted that showed only 69 out of 6000 wine brands available are black-owned. She also stated that only around two wine production farms (vineyards) out of the 69 belong to black brands.
“If you don’t own a wine farm, if you don’t own the cellar, you must know that you are running at a loss.”
Asking her to share her highlights on RHOCT, the country’s beloved reality TV star stated it was “getting a massive platform to achieve her business objectives of brand awareness, brand recognition, brand vehicle and ultimately staying in people’s minds.”
She also added that “so many women from other different Real Housewives franchises have managed to build strong brands through the Real Housewives‘ platforms.”
She also appreciated the friendships that she formed on the show, friendships that she values dearly. Her wish though, is to see more women flourish in the wine market and many other markets where women are less represented. She does, however, state the need to fully understand the business you will get yourself into.
Thato also stressed the importance of education, adding that even if one is to go into business, it is important to make sure that you have something to fall back on.
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