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land. “It was barren land,” she tells me. “Covered in weeds.” But land is hard to come by, and so they got to work. Meanwhile, given the traction she was getting in the US, Vivian invested money to market her product there, going on the road and telling her story. Her hustle had an impact beyond her own brand: women of colour in particular would approach her while she was touring the US and say they were inspired by what she had accomplished. They now wanted to start businesses of their own. In 2013, Vivian succeeded in landing yet another large US contract: Walmart was looking to buy wine from women- owned companies and Seven Sisters fit the bill. That year also saw the farm finally plant its own grapes. In 2016, seven years after acquiring their land, they opened their doors to visitors. “The land needs more work, as you can likely tell,” Vivian confesses to me. I nod; on the drive in I did notice that the plot had a few pockets that were as-yet underdeveloped, and it lacked some of the majesty so often showcased on the centuries-old wine farms that permeate the region. The benefit of time certainly makes its mark. But the grapes they plantedmean that the company now has two wine ranges: the Seven Sisters range is ”carefully crafted according to the personality of each sister” from grapes grown on vineyards elsewhere, while the Brutus Family range, which includes a red blend named after the eighth sibling and only brother John, uses grapes grown on their own land. This latter development was a momentous milestone. RESISTANCE AT EVERY STEP Vivian recounts how in the beginning, she was repeatedly told that her business was not “legitimate” because she did not have her own land. This despite the fact that there are currently around 500 wine farms in South Africa and more than 3,000 wine brands. Clearly, she was not alone in making and selling wine without a farm. In fact, the number of 100 percent black-owned wine farms in South Africa is shockingly small: Seven Sisters is one of three. Vivian mentions that they now export their wine to several countries, including Canada, Belgium, Poland, the United Kingdom, and the Czech Republic. She also says they frequently host visitors from the US, including students from well-known universities who come to conduct case studies. It seemed to me there was a group of people missing from her list: I asked her if she sells much of her product in South Africa. “No, not really,” comes her reply. “We sell on site of course, and in a few hotels, but that’s about it.” I notice some of the staff are setting up a long table out on the patio. “We are expecting a group from the US this afternoon,” Vivian explains. Again, I ask if she receives many visitors who are local. Again, the same response: not really. We talk about the roadblocks she has encountered over the years, something she at one point describes as “resistance at every step.” The list is long and frequently maddening, but highlights include the assumptions from the public and private sector around what it means to be a “legitimate” business, Vivian Kleynhans samples the fruits of her labour. A sign near the entrance of Seven Sisters. ontapmag.co.za | Summer 2022 | 41