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Silvana Dantu and Shareen Parker are the brains behind Zari, a high-end locally produced sparkling grape juice that is proving a hit, especially with Muslim connoisseurs.
The women – who founded a business called African Equations after working together at the Robben Island Museum in 1996 – are collaborating with the Van Loveren Wine Estate near Robertson in the Western Cape to have the juice produced from muscat cultivar grapes.
Zari has been served at exclusive hotels, including Cape Town’s Mount Nelson and Hilton, and the Maslow in Sandton. It hit the shelves of selected South African stores on Friday.
The two told City Press they started working on Zari in 2009. They explained that cracking the white, male-dominated grape industry had been no mean feat.
During an interview at Dantu’s home in Green Point, Cape Town, they said they had recognised a gap in the market for sophisticated nonalcoholic beverages.
Parker said: “We realised many people don’t drink alcohol and their needs were not being catered for.”
“South Africa’s tourism industry has changed; we are attracting new audiences,” said Dantu.
“There are people from the Middle East, India, China, Sri Lanka and South Korea. A lot of these people are Muslim. Must they only drink water, Coke and Grapetiser?”
The two insist Zari is for discerning palates, as it contains no concentrate or added sugar.
Zari’s closest local retail rival is JC le Roux’s nonalcoholic bubbly. The two priced Zari to cost R60, similar to the JC le Roux product.
Dantu and Parker showcased Zari at the Gulfood Show at the Dubai World Trade Centre in February this year – and have landed a distribution deal with the Lulu Hypermarket chain in Dubai.
Parker says it was key to design a bottle that was up-market and beautiful, but did not resemble wine packaging.
The two are now working to launch cans and screw-cap bottles of the juice.
Apart from the halaal market, their target audience includes “those interested in a healthier alternative, teetotallers, pregnant women or abstainers from alcohol for religious reasons. Often, these groups are not able to find a sophisticated, ethical brand of beverage at hotels or for their events or functions.”
