Riebeek Cellars employee wins Best Potential category at 2016 Prestige Agri Worker Awards

Thursday, 10 November, 2016
Western Cape Prestige Agri Awards
Riebeek Cellars employee Thandisizwe Eric Mnyango was announced as the provincial winner in the Best Potential category at the gala ceremony of the 2016 Western Cape Prestige Agri Awards that took place at the Nederburg Wine Estate in Paarl on Saturday, 5 November 2016.

Mnyango was celebrated as the Swartland’s regional winner in this category back in September, during the leg of the competition that was organised by the Santam Swartland Wine & Olive Route.  

The Western Cape Prestige Agri Awards are presented annually by the Western Cape Department of Agriculture in partnership with Shoprite, to recognise agricultural workers' valuable contribution to the sustainable growth of the South African agricultural sector. What started as a regional competition with 36 entries in the Hex River Valley in 2002, has now grown to a national event with 1200+ entries from 15 separate regions.

Agricultural workers are nominated in one of ten categories by employers, management teams, farm committees or co-workers, after which each entry is evaluated per its individual merits by a panel of agricultural experts, who also conduct interviews with the competitors to test their knowledge in their respective fields. Regional category winners are determined and then compete against one another for the provincial title in each category.

Thandisizwe Eric Mnyango has been working for Riebeek Cellars since 2009, when he started as general cellar worker. His supervisor, Alecia Boshoff, noticed his potential from the start and he was promoted to team leader within six months from his appointment. He took advantage of all the education opportunities the cellar made available to him and is well on his way to achieving his goal of becoming a winemaker.

Mnyango hopes his achievement will inspire others: “I feel it is good for me to show others that you can make your dreams a reality by working together with your employer to achieve great results, both for the business and yourself.”

Alecia Boshoff, Production Manager and Winemaker at Riebeek Cellars, congratulated Mnyango and praised the example he sets for others.

“Eric is a very driven young man who believes that he can better his circumstances by working hard and achieving his goals. He is currently working as our Senior Cellar Assistant and sits on the management committee of the cellar, where he helps to make strategic decisions. Eric is a true team player and a wonderful example for all of our employees - he represents our business in a positive light wherever he goes.”

The full list of winners at the 2016 Prestige Agri Worker Awards are below:

Category

Winner

Region

Farm

General Worker

Jakob Frieslaar

Central Karoo

Boesmanskop

Tractor Driver

Tommie van Rooi

Stellenbosch

Kanonkop Wine Estate

Irrigation Specialist

André Scheffers

EGVV

Monteith

Technical Operator

Gert Booysen

Stellenbosch

Neethlingshof Wine Estate

Animal Production

Tommy Machinga

Overberg

Itakane

Agri-processing

Le-Anne Pieterse

Overberg

Malgas

Social Development

Moira Fourie

Breedevallei

Lemoenpoort

Administrative Personnel

Franklin Jansen

Hex Valley

JS Jordaan Bdry (Edms) Bpk - Jamacajo

Foreman

Tumiza Nkanunu

Bergrivier

Steenebrug- Suiderland Farms

Junior Management

Charmaine Scholtz

Witzenberg

Ceres Remhoogte

Middle Management

Anton Alexander

EGVV

Ouwerf (Crookes Brothers)

Best Potential

Thandisizwe Eric Mnyango

Swartland

Riebeek Cellars

Best Growing Region

Central Karoo (2nd consecutive year)

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Riebeek Cellars employee wins Best Potential category at 2016 Prestige Agri Worker Awards
Riebeek Cellars employee wins Best Potential category at 2016 Prestige Agri Worker Awards

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