Growing For Good Entrepreneurship

Growing businesses

Spier helps entrepreneurs — many of the former employees — to launch and successfully run their own small businesses.

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Spier helps entrepreneurs — many of the former employees — to launch and successfully run their own small businesses. The range of support we offer these start-ups includes mentorship, finance, equipment and facilities. Purchasing guarantees at launch also provide the entrepreneurs with the income they need to get their businesses up and running.
MENTORING ENTREPRENEURS

HELPING LOCAL START-UPS THRIVE

The successful small businesses we’ve incubated include Klein Begin (which provides laundry services to Spier Hotel), Debinisa (a transport company), Primo Vino (which reworks and repackages Spier wines for different markets) and Mountain View Tank Services ( a bulk wine transport service). Since 2017, Spier’s staff restaurant has been independently owned and run by former staff member Noviwe “Sweetness” Lubisi, while WAS Laboratory, has been providing wine analysis for Spier’s winemaking team since 2019.

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Primo Vino Packaging and Reworks

Employing 10 people, Primo Vino reworks and repackages Spier wines to meet different customers and markets' requirements. Established in 2009 by Shaun Theunissen, a former Spier employee, Primo Vino operates from Spier's Buitepost warehouse where all our exports, warehousing and local distribution is centralised.

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Debinisa Transport Company

Caswill Mentoor was a driver and messenger for Spier when, in 2009, he approached Spier to partner him in his own transport company. Spier facilitated the formation of Debinisa, a black-empowered joint-venture between Caswill and one of our established transport contractors, Louw Vervoer. In addition to being used extensively by Spier, Debinisa also services several other customers.

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Mountainview Tank Services

Owned by Reynold Visser, Mountain View Tank Services provides a bulk wine transport service, taking wine to our bottling plant supplier from either our own cellar or from the cellars of our bulk wine suppliers. With a secure service commitment from Spier, Visser secured bank finance, acquiring his own vehicle for the start-up.

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Klein Begin On-site Laundry Service

Spier built the infrastructure then called for tenders from the community to run an on-site laundry. Klein Begin employs five people from the region and launders large volumes from the Spier Hotel and restaurants.

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WAS Laboratory

Merecia Smith, a former Spier employee, has launched WAS Laboratory, the Western Cape's first black-owned wine analysis laboratory. Spier has provided a loan for the purchase of new equipment as well as free rent, electricity, water and internet for her first two years of operating. We are also assisting with accounting and administrative services to allow Merecia to focus on her lab work. Over the next few years, mentoring from Spier staff will help her gain the business know-how to operate independently.

Explore all our initiatives

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Nurturing nature

Our land is holistically farmed to create a diversified, balanced ecosystem with minimal impact on the environment.

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Spier Food Garden

In our food gardens, Megan McCarthy teaches members of disadvantaged local communities how to grow food using eco-friendly and regenerative techniques.

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Pack for a purpose

Pack for a Purpose invites visitors to Spier to fill spare space in their luggage with much-needed books, stationery and other educational supplies for disadvantaged young students.

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An ethical supply chain

We ensure integrity throughout our supply chain by monitoring the agreed commitments in our Spier Supplier Ethical Code of Conduct, which includes compliance with all relevant labour, health and safety and environmental legislation.

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Reducing and reusing water

100% of Spier’s black and grey wastewater is recycled using a centralised wastewater treatment plant installed in 2007.

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Agents of change

Because each employee is an ambassador for Spier and its values, every new member of our team participates in a five-day training course that explores environmental and social challenges.

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Skills development

Spier is a participating employer in the Pinotage Youth Development Academy which seeks to educate and employ disadvantaged youth in the wine industry.

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Harambee youth employment accelerator

Spier recruits entry-level staff through Harambee, an initiative that sources, trains and places unemployed young people from disadvantaged backgrounds into their first jobs.

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Teaching the value of waste

100% of our organic waste is transformed into organic, nutrient-rich fertiliser and more than 97% of our solid waste is recycled.

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Living Soils Community Learning Farm

Based at Spier, this learning and demonstration farm produces nutritious food using eco-friendly regenerative farming methods while empowering a new generation of farmers.

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Tree-preneurs

Living in some of the province’s most impoverished communities, Tree-preneurs are taught how to care for indigenous trees and plants.