As South Africans, we are no strangers to the increased pace of change across all spectrums of our lives. The continual transformation of our societiesis driven by fresh perspectives and the dynamic energy of innovators. Likonelo (Koni), is one such trailblazer.
“I felt that the time was right to open up things in the wine industry – to introduce more diversity! The best way to do that was to become a wine entrepreneur and make a difference from within.”
Roots
Born in Soweto, Gautengas the oldest of three daughters, Koni wasraised in rural Eastern Capebefore settling inmetropolitan Cape Town,Western Cape. Nurtured in a protected but loving environment, Koni developed into the energetic, charismatic and jovial personality we know today. Koni’s values areadopted from her grandparents, who were community leaders in the village where she spent her formative years. She considers them her role-models as
theirguidance and love gave her confidence and taught her to be resilient and self-reliant. Her family life was filled with music, storytelling and the spirit of Ubuntu.
“I am shaped by principles of hard work, courage, honesty, respect, and inclusivity.”
An alumna of Bethel High and the Universities of Cape Town, Stellenbosch and UNISA, Koni spent more than a decade reaching the pinnacle of human resource development at financial institutions such as Metropolitan and Sanlam.
“I believe that all humans given a chance, can be great! To be great comes with responsibility to also serve others and inspire them to do the same!”
Learnings
With her varying interests, she considered careers in music, fashion and journalism. Life however, handed herthe opportunity to shape the skills of others, which developed into ambitions of becoming an entrepreneur. The key competencies she regards as having learnt are relationship building, problem solving, strong ethics and leading – but also serving others.
An avid reader, Koni spends a lot of time considering topics that can influence her beliefs and aids her in business.
“A favourite quote is “Dreams only die if you let them starve”.
Motivation
In her career, Koni was driven by the transfer of knowledge. Achieving success in various training programmes with junior and senior staff, she believes that her competitive edge comes from being able to deal with diversity. A major success was turning an under-performing training department into a thriving group of people with a culture of adding value to their work. She has taken these experiences to carve out her own piece of the wine industry.
A different path
In 2015, Koni started her wine label, Koni Wines.
“One of the reasons I started the business was to stretch myself into newness, I was tired of the known and wanted to totally learn something new.”
Although facing initial challenges, with her can-do attitude and positive mentality she has gained a loyal fan club for her wines. One of her champions view her wines as key to their Friday “unwinding” sessions.
Koni views the wineindustry as a sector that will benefit from new ideas and mindsets from the diverse cultures in our country. The philosophy with the production of her wines is experiencing the quintessential varietals in the traditionalstyle, making it perfect for all wine drinkers.
“I also work on converting non wine drinkers who may be intimidated by wine language and culture.“
A brand to take note of
Koni Wines is synonymous with consistent quality at affordable prices. Experts rate it an easy drinking wine range, of which four wines received gold awards in wine competitions. Her brand speaks of warmth and vibrancy, bringing people together and celebrating the gift of life!
This is an African tale worth telling!
“I observed that each time a bottle of wine is opened, people love telling stories, but we also need to turn these moments into engaging, fruitful conversations about our heritage as citizens of South Africa!”
Connect with Koni
