Sip with Purpose: Minor Hotels and Saving the Wild Debut Conservation Wines
New Collection Aims to Combat Poaching in Africa
Minor Hotels has partnered with conservation charity Saving the Wild to launch a new wine collection aimed at supporting wildlife protection efforts across Africa.
The initiative introduces three “Saving the Wild” wines, now available at selected Minor Hotels properties across the continent. Produced by South Africa’s Hoopenburg Wine Estate in the Stellenbosch region, the collection includes a Cabernet/Merlot blend, a Sauvignon Blanc, and a Rosé. A portion of proceeds from each bottle will fund Saving the Wild’s advocacy for stronger wildlife protection laws and the establishment of specialised courts to combat poaching.
Each wine highlights a species heavily targeted by illegal wildlife trade. The Cabernet/Merlot features a rhino, the Sauvignon Blanc an elephant, and the Rosé a pangolin. The labels showcase fine art photography donated by renowned wildlife photographers William Fortescue, James Lewin, and Aaron Gekoski. Gold foil detailing emphasizes the animals’ most trafficked features—rhino horns, elephant tusks, and pangolin scales—drawing attention to the impact of poaching.
Guests can also access educational content through QR codes on each bottle, linking to short films produced by Saving the Wild. These include “Rhino: The Endgame,” featuring Dr. Jane Goodall, and “Kimana Tuskers,” narrated by actor Djimon Hounsou and created in collaboration with an Academy Award-winning team.
Saving the Wild founder Jamie Joseph said the partnership supports a critical mission to strengthen legal deterrents against wildlife crime. She noted that current penalties often fail to discourage poachers, making legislative reform essential. Joseph also praised Minor Hotels’ commitment to conservation, citing protected wildlife experiences in Zimbabwe as an example of what effective stewardship can achieve.
Nico Vivier, Regional Director of Operations and Development for Minor Hotels Africa, said the initiative aligns with the company’s sustainability goals as it expands into protected wilderness areas. He emphasized that the wine collection combines hospitality with conservation by directly contributing to funding wildlife protection efforts.
Saving the Wild, founded in 2014, operates across southern and east Africa and is internationally recognised for dismantling high-level rhino poaching syndicates. Its work has gained increasing global attention and is now being adapted into a feature film currently in development by Margot Robbie’s production company, LuckyChap Entertainment.
The wine collection has been available since May 2026 at participating Minor Hotels properties, including NH Johannesburg Sandton, Avani Victoria Falls Resort, and The Royal Livingstone Victoria Falls Hotel by Anantara.
