Historic South Africa Bloemendal Wine Estate heads to auction at $11 million   

Historic South African wine estate with ties to a former anti-apartheid activist and politician is set to go under the hammer this month, with brokers seeking bids of at least 180 million rand ($10.9 million). 

Bloemendal Wine Estate, located in South Africa’s Cape Winelands — often compared with California’s Napa Valley — will be offered for sale on March 25 as a fully operating and profitable business, according to a bid package prepared by Rawson Auctions. 

The 238-hectare property includes restaurants, a winery, a tasting room, a manor house, stables and conference facilities, the document shows.

A wine estate with centuries of history 

Bloemendal traces its roots back more than 300 years. In its early days, the farm supplied fresh produce to ships of the Dutch East India Company sailing around the Cape of Good Hope. 

Today, the estate produces award-winning wines from grape varieties such as chenin blanc, chardonnay, pinotage and cabernet sauvignon. Its vineyards and hospitality facilities have made it a well-known destination in the Cape Winelands. 

Over the years, the property has passed through several owners, including a company founded by Tokyo Sexwale, a veteran of South Africa’s anti-apartheid struggle.

Sexwale spent years in prison on Robben Island for opposing white-minority rule, alongside Nelson Mandela.

Political ties and business legacy 

After the end of apartheid, Sexwale became the first democratically elected premier of Gauteng province in 1994, home to the country’s largest city and economic hub, Johannesburg. He left politics four years later and built a business career, including investments in mining. 

It remains unclear who currently owns the Bloemendal estate. 

The upcoming auction follows a failed attempt to sell the property last year. Brokers now require potential bidders to submit proof of funds of at least 200 million rand ($12.1 million), along with verified identity and tax registration documents before participating. 

A non-refundable deposit equal to 5% of the purchase price will be due once an offer is accepted, with the balance payable within 14 days. 

Bloemendal wine estate awaits March auction

In the late 1990s, Sexwale along with current President Cyril Ramaphosa was widely discussed as a possible successor to Nelson Mandela. Ultimately, Thabo Mbeki became South Africa’s second president in the democratic era. 

With centuries of history and a place in South Africa’s wine industry, Bloemendal now awaits its next chapter when the gavel falls on March 25.