10 Things you should know about Ntsiki Biyela

Ntsiki Biyela is widely known as the founder of Aslina Wines. Here are 10 Things you should know about Ntsiki Biyela.

1. Ntsiki Biyela was born in 1978.
2. She is a South African winemaker and businesswoman who runs Aslina wines.
3. Previously, she was head winemaker at Stellekaya Wines, where she became the first black female winemaker in South Africa.
4. Biyela grew up in Mahlabathini in Zululand.
5. She graduated from high school in 1996 and worked for a year as a domestic worker.
6. Having made a number of unsuccessful grant applications to study at university, she was offered the opportunity to study viticulture and oenology at Stellenbosch University in 1998 by South African Airways.
7. She was able to attend university on a full scholarship and graduated in 2003 with a bachelor of science in agriculture.
8. In 2009 Biyela was named as South Africa’s Woman Winemaker of the Year.
9. She saw Black South Africans, who weren’t being courted by White South African winemakers because they weren’t traditional wine drinkers, as a huge untapped potential consumer base.
10. Biyela is a board member of Pinotage Youth Development Academy, which provides training for youth in the Cape Winelands region to prepare them to enter the industry.