It is such a pleasure to honour an organisation that is really changing young people's lives. The Pinotage Youth Development Academy (PYDA) celebrated 10 years of #launchingtalent on the evening of Wednesday 14 September 2022 at Quoin Rock in Stellenbosch. Hats off to them all!
It's easy to get jaded being South African, but in fact, there are so many good things to celebrate in South Africa, and the Pinotage Youth Development Academy is certainly one of those. We celebrated with the founders, staff, graduates, and supporters at PYDA's 10-year anniversary event.
Founded in 2012, after UK based David and Jilly Best visited Franschhoek and connected with an enthusiastic young man at Rickety Bridge Winery at a tasting. The young man was Fennel Adams and after further engagement, realised that there must be a way to fast track education and training so that people with his kind of drive and attitude would have access to opportunities for training and employment.
After an engagement with the Dame Hillary Cropper Foundation (est 2004) where David and Jilly were involved, and the foundation has continued to fund and support the PYDA over the 10 years since inception and has every intention to continue to do so, according to Nick Jackson.
Nick Jackson (Cropper Foundation), Nomonde Kubheka (PYDA), Ziyanda Njalo (uLutsha Wines) & Tuanni Price.
Nikki Munro was chosen from an extensive list of candidates to run the PYDA and she built the team and its offering to try to identify gaps, and fill them with education and personal development for youth in the Stellenbosch, Paarl and Franschhoek areas. Now, after 10 hard but incredibly rewarding years, she will be moving on to other things. We wish her well.
She has always been such an incredible inspiration. "We are becoming, We are shifting. We are elevating to intentionally change organisations," Nikki said.
"See what is possible by looking in the eyes of young South Africans," Nikki went on, "We gotta work the millions - from individual change to systemic change.''
PYDA graduate Sish Mfobo spoke passionately about how the PYDA gave her skills to find a meaningful job in the hospitality industry and can now afford to support her family - not a dry eye in the house!
More than 500 passionate young people have graduated from the PYDA over the last 10 years, and 90% of them have jobs. This is an enormous achievement, but also a huge challenge as the rate of unemployed youth in South Africa is terrifying. There are new programs afoot looking at changing systems and we look forward to being involved further.
wine.co.za has been a proud supporter of the PYDA and launched our internship program in 2019 and since then have had a graduate with us every year for 12 months, learning the ropes, being exposed to the wine industry, being mentored and getting to know business better.
We are very proud to announce that Frank Mlondolozi Mketo, our current wine.co.za intern (our 4th intern) is the first of our interns to be appointed permanently. He will be full time on the team from 1 November as our e-commerce assistant.
The Black & White Team:
Judy Brower (wine.co.za), Frank Mketo (PYDA grad, wine.co.za intern), Kevin Kidson (wine.co.za) & Yoliswa Masekwana (PYDA grad, worked for wine.co.za and now at Aslina Wines)
See more pics from the event HERE
Keen to support PYDA?
If you want to support an organisation that is making a difference, developing the talent of our youth and upskilling youngsters, look no further.
There is plenty more coming down the line with PYDA - and we urge you to get involved, employ these amazing young people, and keep up with all things PYDA in our wine.co.za spotlight page HERE.
If you are keen to support the PYDA, please do an EFT (see bank details below) or use the SnapScan Code to make a donation.
Account name: Pinotage Youth Development Academy NPC
Bank: ABSA Bank Ltd
Branch: Cape Town
Branch code: 632005
Account number: 40-799-281-30, Account Type: Cheque Account
