One of South Africa’s largest wine producers has issued a challenge to the UK on-trade: help us to provide some of the poorest people in the Cape with something that will transform their lives.
Distell, owners of brands like Nederburg, Durbanville Hills and Fleur du Cap has signed up with Qhubeka, a scheme aimed at providing simple, sturdy bicycles to impoverished South African villages. Each bike costs around £100 to make and is assembled in a new workshop attached to the winery.
‘A lot of these villagers have to travel a long way to school or the shops,’ Distell’s Oliver Stuart told Imbibe. ‘What these bikes deliver is time.’ It is estimated that each bike will help around five people.
Distell is encouraging on-trade venues to put on fundraiser rides for the charity – particularly venues that are used regularly by cyclists – and is able to supply participants with POS, T-shirts and other marketing materials.
Groups with multiple venues could also receive a special map, planning out cycle routes between the various outlets.
As well as covering the costs of POS, marketing and the bicycle building, Distell will donate money to the charity for each bottle sold by participating venues and also has plans to match any donations made by venues.
Interested participants should contact their local Distell rep, or visit www.nederburgbelieves.co.uk.
