Young Zimbabwean, Tinashe Nyamudoka, Makes African Wine for Africans

On the 12th of December, Tinashe Nyamudoka, a young Zimbabwean based in South Africa gave Africa an early Christmas treat. He announced on Twitter, “The wait is over. Finally, I have a wine that speaks my language, an African language. A wine that takes me back home to my roots and origins. The terroir I know very well.”

He is the brains behind Kumusha, a wine he says is “produced in SA by a Zimbabwean who’s advocating (for) African wine language”. The grapes are from the Slanghoek Property in South Africa’s Western Cape.

Who is Nyamudoka?

Like a good number of people in Africa, Nyamudoka started out without an understanding of wine but had his moment of awakening at the Roundhouse Restaurant in Camps Bay. Nyamudoka later worked at the Showroom Restaurant before going to the One & Only Hotel where he worked with well established sommeliers. Nyamudoka has a Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting Science but passion moved him towards all things wine, culminating in his enrolment with the Cape Wine Academy where he attained African Wine and Certificate Wine courses and later, Wines of the World and Wine and Food courses. Nyamudoka is now the head sommelier and beverage manager at The Test Kitchen Restaurant in Cape Town.

African Wines and the bigger picture

South Africa dominates the industry in the African region and is among the top ten producers in the world. While the industry is still in its infancy in the rest of the continent, there are signs of gradual movement. In Zimbabwe, for example, Bushman Rock manager Jonathan Passaportis is on record saying, “While great wines are being made from Zimbabwean vineyards, some of which have received awards in international competitions, there is still room for growth in both quality and quantity.”

It is a message that holds true for the rest of the continent. The Rift Valley Winery’s Leleshwa Sauvignon Blanc and SABMiller Tanzania’s Dodoma Wine are just some of the wines making headway into the market. To that list, add Kumusha Wine, a new kid on the block with a very clear intention of disrupting the market. Tinashe is receiving orders through his Twitter and in 2018, the wine might just be in your local store shelf.