Blaauwklippen, one of South Africa's oldest wine farms and first registered companies, has just had two team members under 30 named to WineLand Media's 2026 30 Under 30 list – one of the wine industry’s most competitive annual recognitions, limited to just 30 young professionals nationwide.
WineLand Media has reported on the South African industry since 1931. Its "30 Under 30" draws names from viticulture, winemaking, marketing, hospitality, sales and wine tourism, and has become the definitive annual measure of who is genuinely moving it forward. The 2026 class was judged on one thing: real impact, regardless of title or years served.
For an estate that has stood for more than three centuries, continued strength depends as much on the people who carry its story as on the vineyards they tend. In most years, a single name from one estate is a strong result. Blaauwklippen earned two: Elani Nell, recognised for her wine marketing and storytelling, and Mila Malherbe, recognised for brand ambassadorship and customer engagement.
"Two of our own being recognised in one year tells us something about the calibre of people we have at Blaauwklippen," said Roelof van den Berg, CEO of Blaauwklippen. "We have built this estate's name over more than three centuries, and that work doesn't belong to one generation. It belongs to the people willing to learn it, protect it and carry it forward. Elani and Mila are doing exactly that."
Nell’s recognition answered a quieter question. She grew up loving the Cape so deeply that she imagined the mountains talking to one another, and in 2019 she made a deliberate choice: not an office in Johannesburg, but a future in the Winelands. Six and a half years in the industry later – the most recent at Blaauwklippen, which she joined at the end of January 2025 – her content, design and writing secured her place on the list.
"This was a sign in the right direction," Nell said. "I always wonder whether I'm good enough at my job, whether I'm really working hard enough – and this was the confirmation I needed. It's also a little something to encourage others to follow their wildest dreams, even if it leads them 1,600 kilometres from home."
Malherbe’s route into the industry was less conventional. Trained as a speech therapist, she found her way into branding, communication and storytelling, spent a period of time working in London, and brought that breadth home when she joined Blaauwklippen in January 2025. Her work spans brand development, public relations, events, sponsorship and consumer engagement – connecting people to the Blaauwklippen story at every touchpoint.
"This recognition validates a journey that didn't follow a straight line," Malherbe said. "It reflects the value of bringing different skills and perspectives into an industry that is still evolving, and for me it serves as encouragement to keep contributing to that evolution."
Olebogeng Manhe, Chairman of Blaauwklippen, sees two names on the list as the result of a clear commitment. "The future of South African wine depends on the next generation bringing fresh perspectives while respecting the heritage that has shaped our industry," he said. "It is our responsibility to create opportunities for talented young professionals to grow, contribute and become custodians of that legacy."
That commitment is woven into Blaauwklippen’s daily operations. Young professionals in the Tasting House are supported through Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) courses and examinations. Employees from previously disadvantaged backgrounds are trained in practical estate skills, from plumbing to painting.
Every harvest, the cellar takes on a fresh intake of interns who learn alongside Narina Cloete, the 2025 Woman Winemaker of the Year. From day one, every employee hears the same instruction: guard the Blaauwklippen story.
Young employees at Blaauwklippen carry wine knowledge and real responsibility from the beginning. Every skill taught and every harvest opened to interns is an investment the estate expects to outlast its current generation.
"We don't see young professionals only as the future of this industry – we see them as the people already shaping it," van den Berg said. "That's how an estate reaches its 344th year, and it's how it reaches its 400th."
Nell and Malherbe's recognition lands during Youth Month, when South Africa marks the contribution young people are making across the economy. At Blaauwklippen, that contribution now has two names on a national list behind it.