Leadership with a steady hand
Lwazi Mthembu, Managing Director, leads the business with a practical eye on service, consistency and the small details that matter to members. He keeps the club grounded in South African wine culture, while making sure the monthly boxes, event calendar and customer experience all work smoothly from Franschhoek to Durban. Lwazi understands that a good wine club is not only about what is in the bottle, but also about how well the whole service is handled.
His focus is on keeping things organised, on time and personal, even when the club is serving members across different towns and time zones. That means proper planning around deliveries, tasting stock and event schedules, especially during load-shedding periods or busy holiday weeks.
The people shaping each selection
Megan Jacobs, Wine Selection Lead, puts together the wines and bubbly in each box with care and a clear sense of balance. She looks for bottles that show good local character, whether it is a crisp white for a summer tasting or a fuller red for a food pairing dinner. Megan keeps the selection varied enough for regular members, but still easy to enjoy for newer wine drinkers.
Anika van der Merwe, Club Membership Manager, looks after members and keeps subscriptions running properly. She handles sign-ups, renewals and the kind of everyday questions that come up when people are choosing between a private tasting, a virtual group session or a monthly delivery. Her work helps members feel looked after from the first enquiry through to the next box on their stoep.
- Monthly box planning and member changes
- Local wine and bubbly selection guidance
- Support for new and long-term club members
Events that feel personal, not rushed
Siyabonga Dlamini, Tasting Events Coordinator, runs the hosted side of the club, from intimate evenings in Franschhoek to larger tastings in Cape Town, Johannesburg and Durban. He keeps the flow of the evening moving, makes sure the wines are presented clearly, and helps guests feel comfortable whether they are beginners or regular tasters. His strength is reading the room and setting the right pace.
From birthday tasting parties to engagement bubbly evenings and cellar team building events, Siyabonga works closely with the rest of the team so each booking feels well prepared. He knows that a good tasting needs the right glassware, the right timing and enough space for people to talk, ask questions and enjoy themselves.
Delivery, logistics and the last mile
Thabo Nkosi, Logistics and Delivery Manager, keeps the boxes moving across South Africa and makes sure the service holds together from packing to arrival. He is the person who pays attention to routes, timing, packing protection and weather conditions, which matters when parcels are travelling through hot inland areas or damp coastal air. Thabo also understands the realities of local delivery, from secure handovers to keeping wine safe in transit.
His work matters most when members are waiting for a box in Paarl, Somerset West or Constantia, or when an event order needs to reach a venue on time. He makes sure the club can keep its promises without cutting corners.
- Careful packing for bottles and bubbly
- Route planning for local and national deliveries
- Timing support for event and subscription orders
Customer care and the club journal
Leandri Botha, Customer Experience Specialist, is often the calm voice behind the scenes when a member needs help with an order, a delivery date or a booking query. She keeps the service personal and practical, with clear communication that suits busy members who want quick answers and no fuss. Leandri knows how important it is to keep things simple, especially when people are arranging gifts or planning a special evening.
Yusuf Daniels, Cellar Journal Editor, writes the club notes, tasting write-ups and member reading material with a warm, informed style. He helps turn each box into a better learning experience by explaining the wines in plain language and keeping the journal useful for home tastings, food pairings and shared evenings with friends.
How the team works together for members
What makes Ching Ching Cellar work is not one person alone, but the way the team fits together. The selection, membership care, event hosting, logistics and written content all feed into the same goal: to give members a proper South African wine and bubbly experience that feels organised and worth looking forward to.
Whether the enquiry comes from Franschhoek, Stellenbosch, Cape Town, Johannesburg or Durban, the team handles it with the same attention to detail. If you are planning a private home tasting, corporate tasting event, wedding wine planning session or a club pop up, the people behind the work are ready to help through the enquiry form on the contact page.
It is a small team with a strong grip on the practical side of the job, and that is what keeps the club steady year after year.