As one of South Africa’s most decorated broadcasters and entertainment personalities, Bonang Matheba has spent nearly two decades building a public profile and, more recently, a business empire to match it. Her career began with a presenting role on SABC1’s “LIVE”, followed by a stint as a radio host on Metro FM, launching a trajectory that has made her one of the continent’s most recognised entertainment names, with 52 magazine covers, 127 shoots and 27 awards to date.
“From a young age I’ve always known I wanted to run my own business,” she says, an ambition that now spans three ventures: Bonang Matheba Entertainment, House of BNG and the Bonang Matheba Foundation. Her standing as a businesswoman was formally recognised in 2020, when she was named on Forbes’ 50 Most Powerful Women in Africa list, and appearing on the cover of Forbes Women Africa’s March issue.
Her entry into the wine industry
Bonang’s move into wine began in 2017, with a vision that took over two years to realise. Long known as the self-styled “Champagne Queen,” she didn’t want to simply lend her name to an existing label — she wanted to build something rooted in South Africa.
“We have some of the world’s best grapes here in South Africa,” she explains. “This is my love letter to Africa and I’m excited to introduce it to the world.”
That philosophy still defines the brand today.
“I am a South African girl. I’ve been able to have a successful South African brand on African soil. Everything from design and creative to production, manufacturing and packaging is all made in South Africa, in Africa. It resonates in everything that we do, touch, and feel, from the small detail of our designs to the grapes that we choose and the people we collaborate with.”
House of BNG’s flagship products are crafted as Méthode Cap Classique (MCC) – made using the same method as Champagne, but with Cape grapes that honour the terroir of Stellenbosch’s renowned wine-producing region. Over two years, Bonang worked closely with acclaimed Cape Wine Master Jeff Grier, previously of Villiera, to develop blends that would carry her name.
“Jeff Grier has been pivotal to the growth of the House of BNG, creating a unique blend that beautifully fuses my love for wine, particularly South African wines, with his expertise within the wine industry. He has crafted and bottled our bubbly in a way that truly captures the taste I envisioned.”
The collaboration also taught her patience: “Time transforms everything about a wine, from its flavour profile to the aromas and complexity it develops.”
The Brut NV and Brut Rosé NV launched in March 2019, exclusively at Woolworths, and sold out within the first week. The range has since grown into a full luxury beverage collection: the premium Prestige Reserve MCC, which debuted at SunMet in 2020; the canned Nectar Blanc and Nectar Rosé; a Nectar Rosé Non-Alcoholic variant introduced in July 2024; and the Mimosa, which launched in December 2025. The ready-to-drink (RTD) cans remain the standout performer.
“The Nectar edition and now our Mimosa are our best-selling variants within the BNG range — likely because of its convenient format. We were one of the first to offer canned MCC in the country. The Brut Reserve, meanwhile, continues to sell strongly for milestone celebrations and special moments, but equally for everyday enjoyment. The BNG customer varies, and as our tagline says: We turn any location into an occasion.”
Building a lasting legacy
The House of BNG’s launch remains one of the most talked-about debuts in South African drinks retail: the range sold out online and in stores within its first week, generating over one billion impressions on Twitter. Within eighteen months, by September 2020, it had become the number one selling MCC at Woolworths, a milestone made more significant by Bonang becoming the first black woman admitted to the Cap Classique Producers Association.
An early high point came just two months after launch, when The House of BNG supplied the bubbly for President Cyril Ramaphosa’s Presidential Inauguration at Loftus Stadium in May 2019, making Bonang the first female MCC producer to supply a presidential inauguration.
“That led to many collaborations in the years that followed,” she says, “from our involvement with Miss South Africa to SunMet, and partnerships with global brands like L’Oréal, including masterclasses, an upcoming beauty event with Takealot, and the SA Style Awards. Yet whenever we launch a new variant, it remains a highlight for me, bringing me tremendous joy and excitement.”
That prestige has since been validated on paper, not just in sales. South Africa’s leading wine critic, Michael Fridjhon, awarded BNG MCC Brut an exceptional 93 points – a score fewer than 3% of the wines he tastes achieve, alongside 90 points for the BNG MCC Brut Rosé.
Expanding the brand’s footprint is underway on two fronts. Regionally, House of BNG is already available in Lesotho and Eswatini, sold through port-to-port and wine-to-wine online platforms, and stocked with select independent retailers in Zambia and Zimbabwe.
“Last year we secured a listing at La Parada restaurant, which marks our entry into the premium restaurant sector,” Bonang says. “From there, we’re working towards partnerships in aviation, which will naturally open doors to duty-free retail — meaning international visitors will be able to enjoy BNG as they travel through South African airports, introducing our MCC to a global audience.”
On product, she’s committed to measured growth: “Going beyond MCC in the future is definitely in our plans — so watch this space. Slow and steady wins the race, and while we are starting with local expansion, we’ll be moving to continental and then global.”
Her longer-term ambition is unapologetically bold: “I would love to see The House of BNG being enjoyed by celebrities on the red carpet at the Grammy’s or Oscars one day. But most definitely here on the African continent too. I see African luxury taking centre stage with all eyes of the world on us in the near future.”
Breaking into the Cap Classique Producers Association as its first black woman member wasn’t incidental for Bonang, it’s central to how she measures the brand’s success. “What is important to me is to show other black women that having a career in wine is possible. South Africa in particular has not been very inclusive, I hope this is how I can make an impact. More than anything I’ve always wanted to have a legacy brand that goes beyond just broadcasting. I want to create something my children can inherit, and their children can grow up in.”
That sense of responsibility extends beyond the industry to how Africa is perceived globally:
“Africa has never really been synonymous with luxury and we have the power to change that perception. It’s time for Africa to shine. To be a black woman and to have a successful sparkling wine in such a difficult alcohol industry is not a small feat.
For more go to www.houseofbng.com.
To follow Bonang on Instagram visit https://www.instagram.com/bonang_m/
