Beneficiaries at Wine Auction’s Heart

The country's biggest fundraiser benefits 19 education charities. From providing innovative technological assets to numeracy & literacy assistance, special needs training and even a daily meal to at-risk children, the beneficiaries of the upcoming AfrAsia Bank Cape Wine Auction are a substantial group of non-profit organizations helping to transform the Cape Winelands’ education landscape.

In all, 19 Cape Winelands organizations, supporting 13,000 members of the community - are set to benefit handsomely from this year’s AfrAsia Bank Cape Wine Auction, to be held at Klein Constantia, Cape Town, on February 12 and 13 2016.

Established in 2014, the AfrAsia Bank Cape Wine Auction is today South Africa’s biggest philanthropic event and managed under the guidance of five of South Africa’s top businesspeople.

With education being the basis of significant social progress, especially in disadvantaged communities, the Trustees - including CEO of Wines of South Africa, Siobhan Thompson; MD of Warwick Wine Estate & Vilafonté Mike Ratcliffe; Ken Kinsey-Quick former London fund manager and founder of the Diamond Fund; one of the Leading Woman Entrepreneurs of the World and owner of De Morgenzon wines Wendy Appelbaum and founder of Montegray Capital, Michael Jordaan - have sought to make meaningful improvement from a grassroots level.

“At a time when South African education is in crisis and donor fatigue is on the rise, we went in search of a new giving model, one which focuses on maximum impact and long-term sustainability - from creche to career,” says Mike Ratcliffe, Trustee of the Cape Wine Auction Trust.

In turn, the 19 beneficiaries of the Trust find the most effective way - including collaboration - to contribute to youth transformation and holistic education approaches in the region, from primary education to job creation.

Some of the phenomenal charities at the heart of the Auction’s efforts include The Pebbles Project which supports special needs children by providing vital training to local wine farm & township crèches while, aiming to transform the teaching and learning model, Eduvate, arms schools with innovative technological assets for effective learning practices.

Critical assistance with literacy and numeracy are provided by the Anna Foundation while the Lunchbox Fund ensures that real learning is substantiated by providing orphaned, at-risk youth with a daily meal.

More than R17 million has been raised to date through the AfrAsia Bank Cape Wine Auction, all of which was provided, without offset or deduction, to the Cape Wine Auction Trust and given directly to the recipient charities.

To date over 1,637 hours of social worker counseling at disadvantaged schools in vulnerable communities have been funded while 230 000 meals are delivered annually to children who arrive at school without having eaten breakfast, some without dinner the night before.

“We’re hoping that this year’s Auction will be even bigger - it’s an event that makes a meaningful impact on the lives of so many children in our region,” adds Mike Ratcliffe.

The AfrAsia Bank Cape Wine Auction, which attracts bidders from around the world, takes place at Klein Constantia Estate in Cape Town, on 12 and 13 February 2016. Online bidding opens is now open and live global telephone bidding is available on the day.