2007年VOA标准英语-South African Winemakers Tap Rising Black Marke

By Scott Bobb
Soweto, South Africa
19 September 2007

South Africa is well-known for its wines, which are exported all over the world. But historically, fine wine inside the country was drunk primarily by the white minority and was appreciated by few black South Africans. South African winemakers hope to change this and held a wine tasting festival in Soweto, the country's largest black community. Correspondent Scott Bobb was there and has this report.

It is Friday evening on the Soweto campus of Johannesburg University. Vintners from 90 different wine estates are preparing some 800 different varieties of wine to present to Soweto's young and increasingly affluent² population.

One of the founders³ of the festival, Mnikelo Mnagciphu owns Soweto's oldest wine shop. He says black South Africans are increasingly interested in their country's famous export.

"We felt that Sowetans were deprived," said Mnagciphu. "Many South Africans were deprived in that we produce so [such] good wine in South Africa but 80 percent of that is mainly for export."

South Africa's wine industry is more than 300-years-old but its major domestic market is among the white and other racial minorities. Blacks, who make up 80 percent of the population, traditionally drink beer, spirits and home-brewed alcohol.

As night begins to fall, the hall fills up with smartly-dressed, young professionals coming from jobs in government, industry and the service sectors⁴.

The rising spending power of the black middle class totals an estimated one-fourth of all income in the country or more than $20 billion per year. This has made them the favorites of marketing⁵ agents who call them "the Black Diamonds."

Soweto resident Gerald Mokotedi is one of the 4,000 visitors who came to taste some wine.

"We know some few wines," said Mokotedi. "So we just want to explore with the other wines to see how they taste, what is the difference between a dry wine and a semi-sweet wine. Because most of us black people don't know more about wines, to be very honest. So we are gradually getting to know wine."

Under apartheid, Soweto was a suburban⁶ dormitory created to supply black labor⁷ to Johannesburg. Its streets were unpaved and without lights, its houses without electricity or running water. It was home to many leaders of the anti-apartheid struggle and its streets were the scene of violent anti-apartheid demonstrations⁸.

But today, Soweto is South Africa's largest black community with a population of nearly two million people and an estimated spending power of nearly $2 billion per year. It has become a major trendsetter for the country.

In the meantime, consumption levels of wine in South Africa have stagnated⁹ in recent years. As a result winemakers are looking to South Africa's 40 million blacks to expand their business.

And blacks, encourage by government-sponsored programs to promote black-owned businesses, have begun to enter the wine industry.

Vumile Nkewu is a tall young man who owns the Vunani label. As he uncorks a bottle, he says wine is about lifestyle and blacks now have the income to experience it.

"[Black] people used to not go to restaurants to have meals," said Nkewu. "But now they go to restaurants and they see wine. They see people drinking wine with their meals. It gives you [them] a lot of interest."

Black women are also taking a stake in the wine industry. Nondumiso Pikashe is one of four teachers who founded the Ses'fikile label.

"Ses'fikile is a Xhosa word meaning, 'we have arrived.' It borrows from the history of our country, from our people as women," said Nondumiso Pikashe. "Because as women we have always been put aside, we've not been recognized as decision makers¹ or as key players in the economy."

Ntsiki Biyela is South Africa's first and, to-date, only black female winemaker. She says now that wine is available to everyone the industry can grow.

"The black community in South Africa, we have a brighter future," said Ntsiki Biyela. "Even South Africa at large, I believe we have a brighter future. It's more how are we going to do it ourselves. It's more putting ourselves out there and facing the challenge."

There are only two dozen black winemakers in South Africa, less than two percent of the total number. They face stiff competition.

They are hoping black South Africans will provide new markets for their product. Given the turnout at this event, many of the country's 700 winemakers also have the same idea.

1 makers   

n.制造者，制造商（maker的复数形式）

参考例句：

• The makers of the product assured us that there had been no sacrifice of quality. 这一产品的制造商向我们保证说他们没有牺牲质量。
• The makers are about to launch out a new product. 制造商们马上要生产一种新产品。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 affluent   

adj.富裕的，富有的，丰富的，富饶的

参考例句：

• He hails from an affluent background.他出身于一个富有的家庭。
• His parents were very affluent.他的父母很富裕。

3 founders   

n.创始人( founder的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• He was one of the founders of the university's medical faculty. 他是该大学医学院的创建人之一。 来自辞典例句
• The founders of our religion made this a cornerstone of morality. 我们宗教的创始人把这看作是道德的基石。 来自辞典例句

4 sectors   

n.部门( sector的名词复数 )；领域；防御地区；扇形

参考例句：

• Berlin was divided into four sectors after the war. 战后柏林分成了4 个区。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Industry and agriculture are the two important sectors of the national economy. 工业和农业是国民经济的两个重要部门。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

5 marketing   

n.行销，在市场的买卖，买东西

参考例句：

• They are developing marketing network.他们正在发展销售网络。
• He often goes marketing.他经常去市场做生意。

6 suburban   

adj.城郊的，在郊区的

参考例句：

• Suburban shopping centers were springing up all over America. 效区的商业中心在美国如雨后春笋般地兴起。
• There's a lot of good things about suburban living.郊区生活是有许多优点。

7 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

8 demonstrations   

证明( demonstration的名词复数 )； 表明； 表达； 游行示威

参考例句：

• Lectures will be interspersed with practical demonstrations. 讲课中将不时插入实际示范。
• The new military government has banned strikes and demonstrations. 新的军人政府禁止罢工和示威活动。

9 stagnated   

v.停滞，不流动，不发展( stagnate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The balloting had stagnated, he couldn't win. 投票工作陷于停顿，他不能得胜。 来自辞典例句
• His mind has stagnated since his retirement. 他退休后头脑迟钝了。 来自辞典例句