• Overview
  • South African Programs

 Printable version

South African Programs

Through strategic partnership with businesses, educational institutions and other organizations sharing our vision for educational advancement and social upliftment in South Africa, our V57 Programs continue to evolve each year. To date, they include:   

Wine for Literacy Program:
Shipping containers used to import South African wines and spirits into the United States are returned to the Cape Winelands filled with books and other educational materials.  This contribution is made possible with help from our devoted partners: U.S. wine & spirits distributors, retailers, restaurateurs, South African suppliers, shipping partner Saf Marine and Gar Furniture Products. 

Adopt-a-School Program:
5% of the net proceeds of our South African wines and spirits sold in the U.S. are donated to beneficiary schools in the Cape of Good Hope to help purchase schools supplies, and fund educational projects.  To date, 57M's beneficiary schools include:

Amstelhof Primary School: Serving children in the Paarl region.
Groote Post: Grammar school for children of the wine and dairy farm at Groote Post.
Bergendal Primary School: Educating children from the Seidelberg wine estate, and eight neighboring farms.

Teachers Exchange Program:
Rutgers University Graduate School of Education (GSE), in conjunction with Cape Town University, currently offers a three-credit course based on an international teacher-exchange program.  Working collaboratively, the teachers and students of both universities are exploring new ways to facilitate educational access, achievement and integration through live classroom applications in South Africa and the U.S.

57 Main Street Imports co-sponsors the Rutgers GSE South African Study Tour, which gives graduate students the opportunity to interface with pupils and teachers at wine farm schools in the Western Cape. This program has sparked a dialogue about educational challenges in South African and American schools and townships.  Program goals include administering a scholarship program for post secondary education.