From promoter to winery owner: Thembisa woman builds wine brand

Andile Zamane’s journey in the alcohol industry began as a promoter for various brands, an experience that eventually led her to employ others and become a trusted promoter for several brands.

However, her work came to a halt during the Covid-19 lockdown, forcing her to reconsider her career path.

After the lockdown, Zamane was given an opportunity to work in the liquor industry, where she broadened her knowledge of the business and gained a better understanding of how to grow within the sector.

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After several years in the industry, Zamane decided to leave her job and pursue her own business venture in the wine industry.

In 2025, she established Andy Nicole Winery, with the name derived from her own name and that of her daughter.

Zamane said her experience in the liquor industry gave her the confidence and knowledge to start her own business, while also allowing her to return to work she had been involved in earlier in her career.

She hopes the business will eventually contribute to job creation in Thembisa through promotional opportunities and sales positions.

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The wine is produced in the Western Cape, including Stellenbosch, as Zamane sources the wine from established wine producers.

“To start the brand, I first had to find a wine farm, register the company and also get a liquor licence before I could start trading and producing wine. After everything was done, we had to align with distribution laws as we have no shop, and from there we ran with it,” she said.

Zamane said her decision to enter the wine industry was driven partly by her personal interest in wine and her belief that there was an opportunity to develop a brand for the local market.

“The dream of making wine is because, first, I love it. Secondly, it sells on the shelves as people use it for many things in their households,” she said.

However, establishing the business was not without challenges.

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“For me, what was very difficult at first was finding the target market, as wine is not something widely used in local communities due to the great competition we have with other alcohol brands,” she said.

Another challenge was finding a suitable wine producer.

“Those who are thinking of starting should be prepared to find these types of humps on the road. Finding a great farm when you are based in Gauteng is never easy. With us, we first started in KwaZulu-Natal and, as time went by, we moved to Cape Town because the KwaZulu-Natal one was expensive,” she said.

Andy Nicole Winery currently offers four flavours, with Zamane also looking to expand into Méthode Cap Classique (MCC), a South African term for bottle-fermented sparkling wine.

She said the development of new products is a lengthy process.

“For now, they send us flavours to choose from and they create the wines for us, but they have since approached me to visit Cape Town and start the process of creating our own flavours,” she said.

For Zamane, marketing and understanding the target market are central to building a successful wine brand.

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“The wine industry is all about selling your brand to the target market of your choice,” she said.
She encouraged young people and aspiring entrepreneurs interested in the industry to start building their businesses and to focus on developing their own markets.

“I would advise those who are eager to venture into the winery business to start now, get your own promotional team and have a target market. It is an opportunity, especially for the youth and young entrepreneurs, so I would advise them to start,” she said.

Zamane said her own journey in the industry had taught her the importance of continually developing her knowledge and looking for opportunities to grow.

“It started from an early age when I started as a promoter, and it motivated me to think about the business and how I can advance my knowledge and make a living from it,” she said.

She also credited her family for supporting her throughout her entrepreneurial journey.

“Ever since I started, my family has been very supportive, especially my aunt, Phumla Zamane, who contributed a lot to my dreams and to ensuring that I am where I am today. My family has been behind me for a great amount of time ever since I started,” Zamane said.