The Land of Hope Trust

Premium Independent Wineries of South Africa

John Platter

Chairman's Introduction

The Land of Hope Trust (LOH) takes deep satisfaction in achieving another significant milestone in 2012 – supporting the first two ‘Trust kids’ to win valuable places at two top Stellenbosch academies.

None of the parents of our beneficiaries enjoyed tertiary education. Megan May started at the Elizabeth Galloway Academy of Fashion Design and Nicole Januarie is studying at the Isa Carstens Health and Skin Care Academy.

The Trust now directly assists 12 child beneficiaries - all children or dependents of Winery of Good Hope employees who are also the LOH trustees - with a total budgeted spend of R250,000 this year. With these grants children are now accessing invaluable private studies and extra-curricular activities to enhance their prospects.

These are not ‘spinoffs’ - they are the key objectives – of the Trust, but they would not be possible without some solid gains in the quality, and acceptance, of the wines. The two wines, a Reserve Chenin Blanc and a Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, are now exported to six countries! We hope to double that figure in the next two to three years. A huge breakthrough came in the UK where Marks and Spencer launched the LOH Reserve Chenin 2010 – at £15.99, its most premium South African white wine. Few accolades speak as loudly. Breaching the stringent M&S quality tests, at that price point, was cause for celebration.

While low-key, modest and sustainable objectives have been pivotal to LOH activities from the outset, the trustees feel from their present platform they are now ready to expand production from 1,000 cases to 1,500 a year and to add two more wines to partner the current ‘Reserves’. Premium quality, however, will remain the watchword.

It has been most gratifying to observe how brilliantly the Land of Hope trustees and the management of the Winery of Good Hope have managed to dovetail their -theoretically competing- interests under the general aegis of the Winery of Good Hope’s larger operations.

The interests of the kids’ education is trumping all other considerations. Exactly as it should be.

CHAIRMAN - John Platter