How The Rangaka Family Founded M’hudi Wines
How The Rangaka Family Founded M’hudi Wines. M’hudi is the home of quality wines and family hospitality. The Rangaka family of South Africa has dedicated themselves to making great wine and fulfilling the promise of the country – all while building a family that extends around the world.
The name M’hudi, derived from the Setswana word “Mohudi” when translated into English carries the meaning of a harvester. Not only this, but M’hudi shares the name with a heroine of a beautiful African story that chooses to flee from a war-ravaged and hopeless village in order to go out and search for a new beginning for herself, one in which the past is left behind and forgotten. Similarly, M’hudi Wines’ story is of a family that, with courage and great determination, went against all odds to pursue their dream of producing great wine.
Originally from the North West Province of South Africa, the Rangaka family decided to search for a place where the whole family could spend more quality time together. Leaving their professional careers behind, the family settled on purchasing a farm in Stellenbosch in 2003 and found themselves to be the first Black family to acquire a wine farm in South Africa.
After looking at several farms in different provinces, Malmsey found a farm in Stellenbosch on the internet in 2002. “It was the cheapest on the market, so we came down to have a look.” Malmsey told WITU. Once they saw it, they knew this would be the place they would call their new home.
“At first, we didn’t think of making wine, but once we made the decision, there was no turning back”, says Malmsey. The farm had guava trees and old vines that needed to be replaced in phases due to the cost involved. To speed up the process, M’hudi applied for funding from the SA Wine Industry Transformation Unit (SAWITU) in 2020 to plant new vines and SAWITU also assisted them to apply for Hortfin funds.
M’hudi Wines are fast establishing themselves as a brand associated with quality, excellence and superiority. The vineyard lies in a valley with deep Table Mountain sandstone soils over clay.
