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A toast to success

Tunohole Mungoba

After completing her entrepreneurship and new venture management studies at the University of Namibia (Unam), 24-year-old Anna Shuuya started pondering different business ideas.

I am firm believer that no amount of growth occurs whenever one is in your comfort zone. So during my graduation this year, myself and a cousin of mine, Martin Mbambus, introduced the first bottles of Michelle Wines,” she said.

According to her, the response has been overwhelming and the rest, as they say, is history.

Initially, the wines were sourced from South Africa, but with recommendations from her team, they decided to source them locally.

“In fact, they are produced at a vineyard in Aussenkehr, in the southern part of Namibia,” said Shuuya.

“Firstly, the grapes are handpicked and after removing the stems they are crushed before they are fermented with their skins on since they are red wines. After fermentation, they are aged and this process can take a few months or even years. This process is followed by the bottling process and then the branding. The wines are branded in Windhoek,” she explained.

Michelle Wines currently comes in two blends - Michelle sweet red and Michelle dry red.

Currently, Namibians are among the heaviest alcohol drinkers on the continent per capita, and 18th in the world, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO). When asked how she will promote her wines without promoting drinking, Shuuya said Michelle Wines “does not condone irresponsible drinking, but advocates for responsible moderate drinking”.

“Studies conducted by researchers are opining that there are endless benefits of consuming wines in moderation, such as preserving one’s memory, the maintenance of lower body mass, the strengthening of one’s immune system and the prevention of ovarian cancer in women,” she explained.

“So, alcohol is not a problem, but our attitude towards alcohol is a problem. Michelle Wines is ready to work with different stakeholders such as the Ministry of Health and Social Services to promote responsible drinking, especially among the youth.”

Born and raised in a small village in northern Namibia called Oshigambo, Shuuya has always been fascinated by entrepreneurship and entrepreneurs, and this prompted her to study a related course.

Although she says the production of wine is an expensive exercise, which involves picking grapes, crushing them, fermenting them, as well as bottling and branding, she is grateful that with her savings and subsidies from her parents, she was able to break into the market.

“As an entrepreneur, my entrepreneurial skills are partly driven by the needs of my customers. It’s still early days to tell whether I will branch out to different beverages, but all I can guarantee is that I will continue to be innovative and evolve as a businesswoman. For now, let me enjoy the success of Michelle Wines,” she said.

“More than anything else, together with my team, I would like to grow Michelle Wines to become an affordable household brand nationally. I would like it to be available in every corner of Namibia, as I believe that would also boost our domestic economy and equally contribute to employment.”