One of Soweto’s upcoming trend-setters is the subject of a documentary series showcasing his one-week experience on one of South Africa’s leading wine estates where his unique style and voice bring the Cape wine culture together with the vibrancy of a born and bred “boy from the hood”.
A Journey of Firsts: From Soweto to Stellies, comprising four 24-minute episodes, was broadcast on People’s Planet, Openview 115, on this week. Produced by Chen Swan and Walla Films for Delheim Estate in Stellenbosch, this engaging series follows well-known Soweto influencer and content creator Mpho (Arthur) Magadze – better known as @sowetohippie – as he spends a week immersing himself in wine and wine-farm activities on Delheim Estate in Stellenbosch, while also taking in the broader Cape lifestyle.
Quirky, irreverent and informative, the series focuses on Mpho’s energetic immersion into the Cape’s wine culture and its people, the natural beauty of one of South Africa’s leading estates, and the magical processes behind ripening grapes and making wine. Mpho said it was time for him to get down to Stellenbosch and to demystify wine by underscoring its accessibility and appeal to a modern generation through a fresh learning journey of firsts.
“What a journey of firsts, on so many levels,” says Mpho, who returned to Soweto from Stellenbosch as a committed wine lover and ambassador, as well as leaving his personal stamp of outgoing conviviality and personable style on Delheim, Stellenbosch and the other places he visited during his trip down south.
“Making this series saw me flying in an aeroplane for the first time and a first visit to the Cape, a cool place I had dreamed of seeing for as long as I can remember,” says Mpho.
“Stellies side is too different from Joho. The guys from Delheim put me on – I was there to sip. It was so great to learn more about wine culture, not just the consumption side. I learned so much! The best was to learn that nobody is wrong – I could enjoy wine the way I experience it.
“I will never take another bottle of wine for granted after experiencing what it takes to make one, and I have been sharing my experiences and stories with my community and friends ever since returning to Soweto. This one is definitely for the books. Now I will putting people on about wine making and culture.”
Staying on Delheim farm, Mpho was up at the crack of dawn each day – not because he was forced to, but because, as he says, “I was not going to miss a single beat, and wanted to take it all in.
“Each day I learnt something new about vineyards and winemaking, as well as the different types of wines made on the farm. All these new names became my homies Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinotage and Rosé. Believe me when I say I was not going to choose, but wanted to experience of it all. I was on my phone, trying to spill the tea for my homies in the hood to make them feel the FOMO by showing and telling them what wines I was sipping. And I can’t wait to take the bottles back to the hood and put my homies on to finer things!”
A Journey of Firsts was filmed at the start of Delheim’s 2025 harvest season. Mpho was taken under the wings of Delheim directors Victor Sperling and Nora Thiel – the estate’s second-generation custodians – as well as the Delheim team.
From selecting harvest-ready grapes to discovering the intricacies of cellar work, the secrets of wine tasting, and enthralling stories from Delheim’s pioneering wine history, the series provides a compelling behind-the-scenes view of life on a leading Cape wine farm beneath Stellenbosch’s majestic Simonsberg.
He says one of his biggest take-outs from the experience was learning that when it comes to wine it is not about sticking to conventions, but enjoying wine the way you like it. “If you want to put ice in your wine, it’s about what you prefer,” he says. And I loved learning that wine has no boundaries – just enjoy it the way you like it.”
In the four-part series Mpho learnt about wine with his eyes and his taste-buds. “I learnt why some wines are sweet and others dry, and what makes the production of white, red and rosé wines different. And what was really cool was being on the farm as the 2025 harvest started, so I could help pick grapes and attend Delheim’s legendary Harvest Celebration. I even took-over at the Harvest Festival by treating the visitors to some of my coolest dance moves! You’ll all check it out in the series.
“A highlight? Going behind the scenes and checking out how the famous Delheim Grand Reserve is made, one of South Africa’s best red wines,” says Magadze. “Here I experienced what grapes from a special vineyard and a red wine aged in wood can taste like. And yes, I also learnt why a great wine like the Grand Reserve needs to ‘breathe’….
“So what I’m saying is, once A Journey of Firsts rolls, pour a glass of Delheim wine, kick back and check-out the Soweto Hippie doing wine. You’ll love this journey as much as I did.”
ALSO READ: Delheim Estate opens pine forests to Stellenbosch University forestry students
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