Busting barriers with spectacular application, skill and charm, South Africa’s hottest new hospitality talents take a fresh approach to adversity. They get stirred, not shaken. It’s how they’re winning. With one mentor at a time, thanks to Distell’s annual skills-transfer contest, the Inter-Hotel Challenge (IHC).
Sylvain Kapompa, Distell’s IHC’s reigning Wine Steward of the Year (2021), is based at the luxury Bantry Bay Ellerman House. From day one, his calm, focused energy has impressed Manuel Cabello, the boutique hotel’s sommelier and operations manager. What hasn’t hurt either is Sylvain’s expertise in relaxing guests and encouraging them to learn more about South African wine.
But it didn’t start that simply. Leaving Kinshasa for Cape Town just after school, he found himself with no local network and had to start from scratch. How else to survive and thrive? He took the first opportunity and fast-tracked his career by getting noticed, supported and promoted. With each new job, he moved up a rung.
The IHC judges discovered in him a natural winner. His prize is a trip in October to France to up his international wine exposure. (No problem there, as he speaks French).
The man he acknowledges as his closest mentor in achieving his title is Lovejoy Neshamba, also of Ellerman House. Lovejoy took the title of IHC Wine Steward of the Year in 2019 but with the pandemic, hasn’t yet been able to take up his travel prize. He is thrilled to be joining Sylvian on this trip of a lifetime.
Meanwhile, Manduleli Solani, of the iconic Mount Nelson, A Belmond Hotel, Cape Town, has been ranked South Africa’s most up-and-coming wine steward, earning the 2021 Wonga Award. His prize is a R30 000 bursary from the South African National Youth Development Agency to study business online with the International Hotel School.
He counts as his mentor Keegan Terry, also of the Mount Nelson. As the IHC Wine Steward of the Year in 2020, Keegan will also be accompanying Sylvain and Lovejoy to France.
Manduleli wowed the judges with a super-sippable, fresh and zesty whisky-based cocktail, he’s calling 1886 Wellington. Why? Because South Africa’s first distillery opened in Wellington that year and it’s where Three Ships is made today.
Recipe: 1886 Wellington
Ingredients
- 75 ml Three Ships Whisky
- 50 ml San Pellegrino Aranciata Rossa, chilled
- 50 ml fresh orange juice
- 25 ml cranberry juice
- 12,5 ml freshly squeezed Lemon Gold juice
- 12,5 ml sugar syrup
Method
Combine all ingredients, shake, strain and serve on ice.
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