No sour grapes in rhino wine campaigns

Published Apr 13, 2015

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Cape Town - A conservation effort to raise funds for the protection of rhinos – by launching a wine brand initiative – has turned sour with the launch of a similar initiative by South African National Parks (SANParks), says Rhino Wines SA.

Charise Matthews, co-founder and owner of Rhino Wines SA, said although she did not intend taking legal action against SANParks, because she appreciated the incredible work done by its rangers to combat rhino poaching, the similarities between the two would have a huge impact on her business.

Matthews said with a passion for rhino conservation and wine, she and Paula Sher, her business partner, launched the Rhino Wines SA initiative at the end of 2012.

“We contacted David Newton, regional director of Traffic East, Southern Africa (the Wildlife Trade Monitoring Network, a joint programme of WWF and the International Union for Conservation of Nature, supporting their rhino conservation efforts and working with Vietnam and China to eradicate the demand for rhino horn), and presented the idea to create a public awareness campaign surrounding the rhino poaching crisis, and so the journey began.”

Matthews said with limited resources they built their brand through social media marketing, distributing wines to outlets such as restaurants, the Kruger National Park and selected Tops and Spar stores.

They donated R23 000 towards the initiative raised from R2 off each bottle sold.

Matthews and Sher approached SANParks in June 2013 and since then SANParks launched the Rhino Tears wine at the end of last year. While Rhino Wines SA is produced and bottled by Excelsior Wine Estate in Robertson, Rhino Tears wine is made at the Mount Vernon Estate in Klapmuts.

“The recent launch of the Rhino Tears wines will obviously have a huge impact on Rhino Wines SA and the project with Traffic,” said Matthews.

In February, SANParks issued a statement after R100 000 was raised after three months since the wine’s launch, to be used in the war against rhino poaching within South Africa’s national parks.

According to the release, Rhino Tears wine sells at R55 a bottle, and R15 from each bottle goes to the initiative, Unite Against Poaching.

Louis Lemmer, SANParks Honorary Rangers’ national executive committee chairman, said Rhino Tears wine was an initiative of the SANParks Honorary Rangers – a non-profit organisation which consisted of volunteers.

“We are independent of SANParks, but work in support of them. We are therefore not involved in their decision-making nor informed of all the people contacting them with suggestions. They have no involvement in our Rhino Tears wine initiative.”

Lemmer said Rhino Tears wines was an initiative to generate funding to support rhino conservation and that Kruger Park was the area most affected by poaching.

“We work directly with the anti-poaching teams to support their most pressing needs. We have provided the bulk of support to SANParks in this crucial area over the past 50 years of our involvement. The name of our Rhino Tears wine is based on our well established anti-poaching logo which has a rhino with tears running from its eyes.”

He said the organisation became aware of Rhino Wines SA only after the launch of Rhino Tears wine in one of its media releases. He said similarity in the use of the phrase Rhino Wine was coincidental.

Lemmer added that after becoming aware of Rhino Wines, the organisation spoke to the people involved and indicated that it would, out of courtesy to them, avoid using the phrase.

“We do not see any conflict between the two brands and accept them as working towards the same goal. We do not accept that Rhino Wines has any rights over us related to the wines. The world of rhino conservation is full of many similar activities and the people involved have learned to coexist towards common goals.”

Joseph Booysen, Cape Argus

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