Calling all wine brands in need of representation across Gauteng, the north of South Africa, Lesotho, Eswatini and Botswana. Chenin Noir's footprint across Sub-Saharan Africa is growing, and our reach spans business-to-business (B2B), business-to-consumer (B2C), and business-to-government (B2G), ensuring your brand is represented wherever the opportunity lives. If your brand is ready to be seen, chosen and remembered at South Africa's most influential tables, this is your invitation.
Behind every great South African wine is a story rarely told and a brand that too often ends up unnoticed on a menu. Chenin Noir is changing that. Today, Africa's premier food and beverage solutions agency unveils the Chenin Noir Partner Programme, an invitation-driven initiative built to put a select circle of South Africa’s finest wine brands exactly where they belong: at the centre of the country's most influential tables.
This is not a traditional distribution model; it is pure advocacy. Through our dedicated brand ambassadors, each partner brand is given a trusted presence in the trade. These ambassadors build authentic relationships with sommeliers and venue owners; deliver expert-led education; and host immersive storytelling dinners that turn a bottle into a memorable moment.
Through highly targeted trade marketing, Chenin Noir goes further still. The agency secures prime menu placements, commands shelf and table presence through striking point-of-sale materials, and keeps each brand visible year-round via a calendar of exclusive expos and activations inside the venues that matter most.
Beyond the trade, Chenin Noir extends this same expertise directly to corporate and private clients.
Through dedicated sommeliers, the agency curates bespoke food and wine pairing experiences for private dinners and corporate functions alike, while its corporate team building offering turns wine appreciation into an interactive, memorable experience, bringing teams together while deepening their understanding of the craft behind every bottle.
"Talent alone doesn’t win a wine its place at the table; relationships do," said Xolani Mancotywa, founder and CEO of Chenin Noir. "Some of the most extraordinary wines in this country are being overlooked, not because they aren’t exceptional, but because no one is telling their story where it counts. The Partner Programme exists to change that, ensuring the brands we believe in are seen, chosen, and remembered."
Partnership is strictly limited and by application, reflecting Chenin Noir’s unwavering commitment to quality over scale. South African wine brands ready to move beyond the shelf and into the story are invited to enquire.
About Chenin Noir
Chenin Noir is Africa’s premier food and beverage solutions agency, redefining excellence in the continent’s premium hospitality and beverage sectors. We are more than consultants – we are architects of African luxury, delivering integrated strategies that elevate professional standards and position Africa as a global leader in hospitality innovation.
Our expertise spans the full spectrum of the industry, combining world-class education, bespoke consulting, and curated client experiences. With a proven track record of shaping beverage programs, training sommeliers, and advising leading hospitality brands, Chenin Noir bridges the gap between international best practice and authentic African identity.
Our mission
To transform Africa’s beverage and hospitality landscape by delivering internationally recognised training programmes, premium consulting services, and unparalleled client experiences that set new benchmarks for the industry.
Our vision
To position Africa not just as a participant in the global hospitality conversation, but as a leader exporting excellence, creativity, and luxury from the continent to the world.
Our pillars of excellence
- Trade education and training: Professionalising the industry through internationally accredited programmes, sommelier development, and tailored staff training that empower Africa's hospitality workforce.
- Corporate and private client engagements: Designing and delivering bespoke beverage and hospitality experiences for corporations, private clients, and luxury events, ensuring every engagement reflects sophistication and cultural authenticity.
- Consulting: Full hospitality solutions: Providing end-to-end advisory services, from beverage strategy and menu architecture to operational excellence and brand positioning, enabling clients to achieve sustainable growth and global competitiveness.
About Xolani Mancotywa, founder and CEO
At the helm of Chenin Noir is chief executive officer Xolani Mancotywa, a visionary leader in the global beverage and luxury sectors. With over 21 years of experience spanning luxury FMCG, hospitality, and consulting, including more than a decade in senior management, he brings unmatched expertise in shaping brands, crafting extraordinary client experiences, and driving commercial growth across Africa’s premium markets.
Xolani Mancotywa’s career journey is defined by leading brand and commercial strategies for some of the world’s most iconic names: Moët Hennessy, Pernod Ricard, Cartier, Maserati, and AMEX Centurion. His work has consistently delivered transformational results: building brand equity, elevating client experiences, and creating bespoke activations that resonate with mass affluent, high-net-worth, ultra-high-net-worth, and billionaire clientele.
Holding an MBA from GIBS alongside advanced sommelier and sake educator certifications, Xolani blends strategic business acumen with deep consumer insight and technical beverage mastery.
Areas of expertise
- Strategic vision and innovation: Designing forward-thinking beverage strategies and experiences that unlock growth and differentiation.
- Culinary and beverage symbiosis: Deep knowledge of food-and-wine harmony, creating seamless and memorable dining journeys.
- Experiential and high-touch service: Proven ability to craft immersive, personalised beverage experiences that set new standards of excellence. His leadership style is hands-on, solutions-driven, and collaborative, whether optimizing go to-market strategies, managing cross-functional teams, or curating world-class beverage programs.
As former head of advocacy and private clients at The Really Great Brand Company, Xolani successfully led teams in delivering highly exclusive experiences for elite clients, overseeing every detail of food and beverage execution for signature events. His reputation for precision, creativity, and guest-centric innovation continues to set him apart as a leader in the industry.
With academic foundations in commerce, culinary arts, and business leadership, spanning the University of the Witwatersrand, Warwick’s Chef School, Court of Master Sommeliers, and the Gordon Institute of Business Science, Xolani brings both breadth and depth to the table.
Through Chenin Noir, his ambition is clear: to redefine the standard of beverage direction and consultancy across South Africa and the continent, partnering with leading organisations to deliver growth, innovation, and sustainable transformation in the premium sector.
Contact us for more information:
Xolani Mancotywa
Chief executive officer
xolanim@cheninnoir.co.za | 084 614 7997