From “This Tastes Terrible” to World-Class Wine: The Journey of Ntsiki Biyela

I sit down with Ntsiki Biyela, South Africa’s first Black female winemaker. A woman whose journey into wine started in the most unexpected way… by saying “yes” to an opportunity that had the power to change her life, and absolutely hating it after tasting it for the first time.We talk about what it feels like to enter an industry where you don’t see yourself represented, and the quiet (and sometimes not-so-quiet) challenges of being both Black and female in a traditionally white, male-dominated wine world. What stands out is Ntsiki’s perspective - grounded, honest, and often filled with humour. Whether it’s people assuming she couldn’t possibly be the winemaker, or customers confidently explaining her own wines to her, she meets it all with a mix of grace and sharp insight.But this episode isn’t just about breaking barriers - it’s also about redefining wine itself.Ntsiki shares how she is making wine more relatable, especially for people who didn’t grow up with it. Instead of talking about “truffles” and “plum” she brings it back to something much more human: How does the wine make you feel? And through her involvement with the Pinotage Youth Development Academy, she’s helping young South Africans find their place in the wine and hospitality industry, and opening doors that once felt closed.We also talk about her own label, Aslina Wines - named after her grandmother - and the moment when she proudly shared her award-winning wine with her.Deutsch: Du kannst diesen Podcast auch auf Deutsch hören: “Africa with André auf Deutsch”** Please tell your friends about this podcast, and leave me a rating on Spotify or Apple. I would love to hear from you - send me your questions, comments and ideas to [email protected] **Aslina Wines: www.aslinawines.comPinotage Youth Development Academy: https://pyda.co.za/Follow me on Social Media:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/africa_with_andreSubscribe to Email reminders when episodes go live: www.africawithandre.comSound credits: uppbeat.io/ and https://pixabay.com/