Apartheid may have ended three decades ago, but there remains much social inequality, and a deeply sub-standard public educational system in South Africa.
That’s why we set up the Land of Hope Educational Trust (LOH Trust). Established in 2007 the direct and sole beneficiaries of this Trust are the previously disadvantaged individual employees of Radford Dale and their children and dependents.
The primary objective of the trust is educational. The long-term social upliftment through the gift of high quality education, skills development and the power of developing knowledge.
How do we fund the trust?
It's simple: a proportion of revenue generated from all annual sales of The Winery of Good Hope range of wines goes into the Land of Hope Trust.
The Trust is making it possible to send our employees' children to partly funded or 100% private créches, schools, specialist colleges and universities they could only dream about when they were young, which under apartheid they were not allowed to attend.
The Winery of Good Hope
The Winery of Good Hope is more than just a winery. It's an approach; an alternative way of thinking, being and doing.
At their cellar on the slopes of the Helderberg Mountain, they make wine using traditional, natural viticultural and winemaking methods. They're also fully accredited for environmental, ethical, and social-upliftment practices.
Extremely approachable, classy and elegant, their all-occasion wines are highly drinkable – and highly affordable. They believe in making delicious, value-for-money wines, no matter what the price tag says. And that's what they do with the wines in this range.
The range consists of an Unoaked Chardonnay, Bush Vine Chenin Blanc, Mountainside Syrah, Full Berry Fermentation Pinotage, and Oceanside Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot.
Impact
With 34 child beneficiaries supported since inception, and total payouts of R6.5 million, the impact and growth of the Trust is evident.
LOH Trust currently provides independent (private), fee-paying public or specialised education for children from the previously disadvantaged communities of our employees at Radford Dale.
Children range from 2 years attending crèche to young adults in tertiary education.
Without LOH funding, the children would have no choice but to attend their local South African state-run school.
The majority of government-run state schools to be found in rural, low income areas such as ours are grossly underfunded and a generation of children from Southern Africa will miss out on a life of opportunity and instead be potentially faced with illiteracy, innumeracy, poverty and crime.
In 2025 the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) found that South Africa spends $ 3,108 per student from primary up to secondary levels, placing it right at the lower end of the country range. Most European governments, by comparison, budget upwards of $15,000 per student
That is why our Trust is so important, as it makes absolutely certain that the children of our own community receive the best possible education and enter adult life as equals to the privileged few who benefit from first world standards.
The Trust welcomes a new chairperson in 2026
After 20 years of stellar leadership and guidance from our founding trustee chairman, John Platter, we bid him a fond farewell and welcome to the fore none other that Cathy Van Zyl MW. Cathy became the first Master of Wine on the African continent when she passed the notoriously difficult MW examination in 2005. Today she is still one of only two MWs in Africa, and we're thrilled to have her on board the Trust.
"I have long been inspired by the heart and soul (and guts) of the LoH team, and I am honoured to have been invited to join them. I very much look forward to supporting the Trust and to carrying on the vital mission of providing a proper education and opportunity in life to children where it really counts," said Cathy.
Outgoing chairperson, John Platter, said, "This is a happy redundancy adieu! Happy because for the past 20 years, from its inception, I’ve been privileged to witness the Land of Hope Trust team at close hand. It’s been an inspiring, heart-warming pleasure, not least when following the educational progress of the kids funded by the Trust."
Click HERE to buy the wines and support the trust.
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