Wrapped up in a glass of wine On a misty, cold and wet day in August, Analjit Singh, founder and chairman of The Max India Group with interests in life insurance, health insurance and health care, stood on a 40 hectare farm in Franschhoek and instantly and instinctively knew, this was it! A far cry from his description of stumbling into being in South Africa let alone the Cape winelands. “I had not been on the African continent before, let alone South Africa,” he tells me in his calm voice on a nippy Friday morning at the newly developed Leeu Dassenberg Estates in Franschhoek. “I never felt the need to come to Africa. Somehow outsiders have a negative perception about Africa. But oh has that changed. I came here for the very first time in 2010 with my daughter for the Fifa Soccer World Cup. “When my other daughter had to go to Cape Town for a wedding, she called me and told me Cape Town was my cup of tea. I was curious so I took out a map to see where Cape Town was. When I arrived in Cape Town, a driver named Gerrit Williams drove me around and as soon as we reached the winelands, I felt a gripping sense of belonging, of energy, a sense of place. There is one thing I must make clear. I am here out of choice. I was not born here. Neither was I married to someone from here. I am here because I want to be here.” It was after his visit on that wet and windy August morning and maybe because of his innate nature to create something that Analjit Singh felt the need to buy a place in South Africa. “I thought about a three bedroom house, maybe with a little vineyard. Something functional, a lock-up-and-go-property. Wine wasn’t on the cards then.” Instead he ended up taking a stake in the South African wine and hospitality industry, the very first Indian investment in this sector that includes the acquisition and amalgamation of three prominent farms in Franschhoek and the development of a new luxury boutique hotel, spa, winery and wine tasting facility. And also a first investment project in his personal capacity outside of India which clearly reflects in the name, the Afrikaans word Leeu (meaning lion), the Sanskrit derivation of Singh. The properties Dassenberg, Von Ortloff and Dieu Donné have been amalgamated within Singh’s Leeu portfolio, under the name Leeu Dassenberg Estates and constitute 200 hectares of vines. Activities on site are currently focussed on reintroducing Fynbos and removing alien vegetation. Hospitality expert, Matthew Smith has been appointed as general manager of the enterprise and the overall team is led by Hector de Galard, a reputed expert in hospitality and property development. This acquisition came shortly after he acquired a stake in Mullineux & Leeu Family Wines (formerly known as Mullineux Family Wines). This Riebeek Kasteel-based winery was started by husband and wife winemaking duo, Andrea and Chris Mullineux in 2007, together with business partners, Keith Prothero and Peter Dart after which Prothero’s shares were bought by Leeu International Investments Ltd, an entity associated with Singh. For Singh, this is one of the rare investments in the consumer products space. The industrialist, whose flagship firm is into a range of businesses including healthcare, insurance, senior living and contract research, is also a private investor in Vodafone’s Indian telecom arm, but the bulk of his business interest revolves around the services sector. “After the acquisition, I realised I have a winery. And I needed help. So by asking around from a friend of a friend I sealed a deal over a glass of wine and plate of sushi. And this is how Rosa Kruger came into my life. And through her A functional winery, a luxury spa and a boutique hotel. Delhi-based industrialist Analjit Singh’s latest acquisitions in Franschhoek reveals something special. I ended up with a winemaker, a viticulturist and a brand in the Mullineux’s.” Standing on his 200 hectare property, knowing he now has a winery, winemaker and viticulturist and a brand to further spice things up, he realised that he needed to learn more about this relative unknown territory. “I do like wine, and I am a trained chemist so I understand the alchemy behind winemaking, but I needed to learn so much more.” So he took off to the Napa Valley to learn, taste and see how things work in the vineyards and in a working winery (today he is a member of the prestigious Napa Valley Reserve Wine Club). Back in South Africa, Singh is adamant that Chris and Andrea will focus on high quality wines. The wines will be made from grapes sourced all over the Swartland and the wine will be made in the newly renovated cellar. “Our aim is to produce one of the top five brands in South Africa. So we will up our quality and price to fit into the ultrapremium market.” According to Singh, who only serves South African wine at his home in India, he will spend about 90 days a year in South Africa. “Well, maybe more,” he smiles. “South Africa is a beautiful country with the friendliest people, who have made me feel truly welcome. It has an unparalleled sense of peace. I love the people, the style, the gentle manner and a lot about being here. And of course the Afrikaans! Most importantly, I feel welcome here, although the Cape Winelands is an international formal setting, to me it feels like home. I am excited about the great opportunities that have become available to me and look forward to learning and making a contribution, in particular to the country’s top notch wine industry.” When asked why a wine interest, he smiles and explains. “Through all of this I kept on asking myself, why am I turned on by all of this? All the things that came with this wine world, was of great interest to me. My life was touched by these things I really love and it gave me a platform to play. I realised this was the window of the world of wine. “People, design, hospitality, interior design, architecture, food, art, nature, water, technology, science, earth … all of these were wrapped up in a glass of wine. That was my cup of tea or rather, my glass of wine! And the more I delve into this, the more I see of these aspects I love so much about wine. Had it not been for wine, none of this would happen. “There are some things in life you cannot read about in a book, learn from a movie or in a classroom. It’s all about choice, God and friends. I received an opportunity, I had the clarity to see and understand this in a serendipity kind of way and had the good fortune to bite the apple. “And I found a grape on the other side.” Advice for South African entrepreneurs to nurture a new business? Start young, a decade is now defined as five years. Find your passion and tap your Gods given gift. Don’t chase money alone How has the main principles for doing business changed since you first started out up until now? I was much more opportunistic when I first started out. Gradually, I became clearer on what I really wanted to do and then I shifted gears, sectors and industries. There is no reason to be stuck to anything. What have you learned through exploring the art of building businesses throughout the years? Firstly, that opportunities don’t cease to exist and keep coming up. There will always be new opportunities. They will find you and you will find them. Be disciplined, you don’t have to say yes to everything. Pick opportunities where you can be cutting edge or at least differentiate in the idea, the team, the partner and in having or getting the capital. What makes SA wine and tourism destinations so appealing for overseas buyers? The environment, the beauty, the use of English as a commonly spoken language, the wide acceptance and application of European and international standards, excellent wines at more affordable prices, relatively more affordable real estate, the SA people, service culture and the politeness of your people. Your business philosophy? All of the above.
Posted on: Thu, 04 Dec 2014 04:48:55 +0000
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