Robertson Winery
We believe that doing good business means doing good in the communities in which we operate, supporting our people who help us produce quality wines, at every level.
In partnership with non-governmental organization Breadline Africa and the not-for-profit MAL Foundation, we have proudly launched the “Really Good Library” at Nkqubela Primary School in Robertson. Our goal is to nurture a love for learning and provide access to knowledge for the young minds of our community.
We’ve also achieved certification from the Wine and Agricultural Ethical Trade Association (WIETA), a globally recognized ethical auditing body registered with the Global Social Compliance Programme (GSCP).
This certification reflects our commitment to an ethical code of conduct and ensures rigorous monitoring of our supply chain. Additionally, we are certified to the BRCGS Global Standard for consumer products, demonstrating our dedication to producing safe, authentic, and high-quality consumer products.
Interesting Additional Information from Accreditation Reports:
As part of our dedication to the growth of our community, we’ve established an internship program at our lab. This program offers valuable opportunities in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) to young people, empowering them with the skills they need to succeed in the modern world.
At Robertson winery we are sponsoring unemployed learnerships, for disabled and previously disadvantaged learners. We embarked on this project in 2018, where we started with 5 learners. We have grown this project, to accommodate an average of 11 learners per year, since 2021. These learners are absorbed within a formal employment environment, which are most suited to their special needs. The learnerships that are currently presented are Plant Production (NQF4), Business Admin (NQF4), and New Venture Creation (NQF4)
We believe in taking care of those in need. We proudly support our local Hospice, ensuring that compassionate care is accessible to all in our region. We’re deeply involved in the community’s sporting clubs, encouraging active and healthy lifestyles.
We also understand the importance of economic empowerment. That’s why we provide financial support for social and enterprise development, with a specific focus on empowering black-owned businesses in key industries.
We are dedicated to upholding ethical standards and human rights, equality, diversity, inclusion and belonging. The well-being of our staff and their families is of utmost importance. Our on-site clinic within Robertson Winery offers essential healthcare services, promoting the health and vitality of our community.
Robertson Winery has an on-site clinic that provides primary health care services to its employees, as well as individuals within the value chain, i.e. employees of Robertson Cooperative and member farms.
Robertson Winery aims to make a positive contribution towards primary health care by offering not only occupational Health Services to our Employees, but by also offering Primary Health Care treatment to our employees by working together with local stake holders, like clinics and hospitals.
As part of the Occupational Health Services, the clinic performs annual medical exams on approximately 300 permanent employees and on approximately 150-200 workers working as temporary employees during the harvest season. In addition, the clinic performs annual medical exams on approximately 450 farm workers in our region. (Physical exam, audiometry, and blood tests for exposure to pesticides). In relevant cases, lung function tests are also done.
In addition to the Occupational Health Services, Robertson Winery Clinic also offers Primary Health care services to our employees – free of charge. This entails a daily service with health complaints ranging from headaches, urinary tract infections, muscle pains and flu or ear and throat infections, etc. We work closely together with our Primary Health care service providers in the area and refer and make appointments for workers if additional treatment is needed.
The clinic treats an average of 136 employees monthly for primary health complaints only.
The clinic does monthly monitoring of chronic conditions like diabetes, hypertension and asthma and send the prescriptions to Robertson Pharmacy monthly and collect the medicine monthly on behalf of workers, so they can collect their chronic medication from the Robertson Winery Clinic.
On average the Robertson Winery Clinic see 116 people monthly for chronic monitoring only.
The clinic offers free physiotherapy sessions on site, which assist with addressing complaints of muscle or joint pains. Employees are also evaluated and if needed refer more serious cases to the Hospital’s Physiotherapist or Occupational Therapist. Robertson Winery employs the services of a reverend which offers weekly employee assistance to troubled workers (dependency issues, loss, relationship problems, stress, financial difficulties, etc.). This service is available at no charge to the employee and employees see him at the clinic during working hours.
Robertson Winery Clinic also hosts Health Days during the year, where subject matter experts are invited to address employees in groups and individually on general health care issues, including:
Employees can also make individual appointments on these days to have breast exams done at the local clinic by experts at no charge. Individual counselling sessions regarding HIV testing are also provided on these days.
Robertson Winery has employed the services of a company to implement an Employee Wellness Programme at Robertson Winery. The service is provided by an external company by means of a qualified social worker.
An employee wellness program (EWP) can be described as worksite-focused programmes designed to provide training, confidential support, and counselling to employees with personal- and work-related problems. From a social work perspective an EWP, as a specific method of service delivery, is a programme or service offered by employers to employees to prevent, alleviate, or eliminate employment and social problems by promoting job satisfaction, productivity, and overall social functioning.
This program includes the following high-level elements.
Robertson Winery created a fund during 2024 with the primary objective of providing financial support to employees and their immediate families and legal dependants, with a particular emphasis on emergencies and unforeseen circumstances. The fund is managed by worker representatives from different levels in the business, which is further seen as an opportunity for education and empowerment.
