Interview: Malmsey Rangaka, M’hudi Wines CEO

9 Nov

Can you introduce yourself and tell us about your tourism business
I am Malmsey Rangaka, the CEO and Managing Director of M’hudi Wines. M’hudi Wines is the first wine tourism farm to be 100% owned and managed by an ordinary black South African family in the Stellenbosch Winelands.

What were you doing before launching your tourism business and what inspired it?
I was a clinical psychologist working for a government department in the North West Province and my husband was a professor and an education manager. After 1994 when the new government encouraged black people to start their own businesses we decided to take the risk and bought a wine farm.

We were also inspired by Sol Plaatje’s novel, M’hudi, in which the heroin shows courage and determination by traversing the country after her village was destroyed by war. She and the man she met along the way settled amongst strangers, learned new things and started a new and successful life.

What is your educational background?
Nursing, education and psychology.

What three industry blogs do you read daily, to stay abreast of your sector?
Being a small business I have to do many things and sometimes do not have enough time. When I do read blogs it is ‘Pendock Uncorked’ at The Times and Travewires.com

What does a press release mean to your business?
My company uses every opportunity available to be noticed by people as it is one of the ways we build and maintain our brand. We have clients abroad and the only way of keeping them informed about our developments is to be in the media. We have been fortunate to be featured in various newspapers and magazines such as the L.A Times, The Daily telegraph, Business Day, Destiny Man etc.

Malmsey Rangaka, CEO and Managing Director of M’hudi Wines

Social media is the current buzz word, is your business active in that space?
We started participating in social media early this year and we share our information, photos and videos through Facebook and Twitter. We interact through industry related blogs to air our views on relevant issues.

What role does the annual Tourism Indaba play for your tourism business?
I had the opportunity to participate in this year’s INDABA sponsored by Cape Town Routes Unlimited. It is a great show where you get to see what other businesses are doing. You also get to network with potential clients. Every tourism business should have the opportunity to attend the INDABA, every year if possible.

Does your tourism business belong to any professional trade organization?
Yes, M’hudi wines is a member of Stellenbosch Tourism, Stellenbosch Wine Routes and Cape Town Routes Unlimited. We will be joining SATSA next year.

What are your short and long term goals for your business?
My short term goals is to have 120 international tourists visiting our facility every
week. Long term, I would like to develop M’hudi wine farm into a world class tourism destination offering business conferencing facilities and accommodation.

What are major challenges that are a stumbling block in growing your tourism business?
Crime on our farm is the biggest problem that must be controlled before we embark on any development.

We need to get a good investor that will help us take our business to a higher level so that it becomes a significant player in the industry. Like any other small business, access to finance is always a stumbling block.

What role does your website play in your business and are you happy with its current format?
It plays a very big role. Though it still needs a lot of improvement in order to effectively market our venue and products, it is important that the website is informative and constantly updated.

How do potential guests/clients reach your business?
Most of our clients are international tourists. They find us through our website and through the media. They read our story on the website and decide they want to visit the farm to meet us.

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