Wellington Zimbowa.
South Africa. (News of The South) – ARMED with only an ordinary level certificate, being a home gardener was the first job for 33 year old Tongai Joseph Dhafana when he crossed the Limpopo to visit his Cape Town based relatives in 2009.
But today what started as a pass-time job seem to have ushered him into a sea of opportunities.
” After being a gardener for almost 10 months I then wanted to work a little longer as I was now adapting to South Africa’s weather, culture etc. I then knocked Bar Bat Black Sheep restaurant’s door looking for work,” he explains.
The owner a “noble man, very humble and kind lad’ called Mynhadt Johannes Thobias Joubert gave him made him the restaurant gardener.
Like the proverbial ‘Zim diasporan’ revered world-wide for hard work, diligence and dynamism, Dhafana became an instant star, prompting a meeting with the boss.
As the two later met at a “famous England table” the family man – who had been frightened by the summon- was only to be relieved to learn of his promotion to be in the kitchen washing dishes.
And the sweet news was gladly accepted by a big smile and tears of joy. But the man would not let go his previous gardening jobs in the neighborhood. He needed to compliment his restaurant earnings.
“I then worked for another four months but I never thrown away my two other first jobs. I only reduced the days so that I could make everyone happy.”
His star kept glowing with the hosting of the world soccer cup in 2010 marking Dhafana’s turning point.
“In January 2010 again Mynhadt wanted to beef up his team as we were hosting the soccer world cup here in SA. He then promoted me again to be a barman which I then served for just few months before landing a waitering post.”
March 2010, Dhafana who is a Christian was to have his first ever taste of win when his impressed boss gave him a glass of wine on his birthday. Like mature wine, the wine worked its magic on the young man and his mind became unsettled.
“Looking in the glass with the fizzy wine my mind drifted into the vineyards. I wondered how one can convert grape to such a wonderful liquid, asking myself of questions with no one to answer. The wine bug followed me since that day but I tried to ignore it.”
The magic was good though as this turned a new page altogether for the inquisitive Dhafana who dropped all gardening his jobs to enroll for a certificate in wine studies with the prestigious Cape Wine Academy first then later acquired some international certificates.
As he climb up the ladder in the vibrant wine industry Dhafana is now studying for a wine diploma and is now head sommelier at the internationally acclaimed dining resort La Colombe in South Africa.
A sommelier is a wine expert mostly employed by up -class restaurants with broad and latest knowledge about wine products and about type of wines to serve with particular dishes.
This year, the Chirumanzu born wine guru decided to test his taste and prove his mettle in the industry he has fallen in love with. The man entered the South Aftican Wine Tasting Championships to “put my palate on test against the best tasters of the country”.
He made it into the top five in a highly contested tiff mainly composed of whites together with a fellow Zimbabwean, Tawanda Marume.
The competition which is meant to encourage “new converts into the closed circle that is the wine world,” is open to those who love wine, sommeliers, winemakers and true amateurs.
Among other things competitors were expected to blind taste wine and correctly identify 12 wines from 8 different countries and identify the cultivar, vintage and name of producer.
The man has worked with celebrated names in the South African wine industry such as Chris Mullineux and Eben Sadie.
And having gone through the mill, he has also version of the Syrah and Chenin blanc wines.
He was once one of the judges at the prestigious Standard Bank Chenin Blanc Top 10 Challenge where popular South African wine brands such as KWV, Perdeberg, Simonsig, Spier and Stellenrust participated.
With the road ahead still long though getting straight, Dhafana looks back and pose to share a few words.
“There is no goal which too high. I faced some few challenges as I never sipped a glass of wine back home. All the courses needed money and I wasn’t earning enough for my studies, for food and to send back home. Honestly if i look back where I came from and where I am going now, I realise it’s not about the destination but about the journey,” he says.
And his wish is to shake hands with President Robert Mugabe and probably, as a good sommelier to serve him with the best wine- that is if he drinks!
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