Minor Hotels Partners with Saving the Wild to Launch Wine Collection in Support of Conservation

Minor Hotels is proud to announce a new partnership with Saving the Wild, a groundbreaking Africa-based conservation charity, with the launch of three ‘Saving the Wild’ wines which will be served in several Minor Hotel properties in Africa.  The wines are produced by Hoopenburg Wine Estate, an award-winning wine farm, and feature a fine art label highlighting the need to protect three key species targeted for illegal poaching.

 Sip while you Save – Saving the Wild Wine

The conservation collection includes a Cabernet/Merlot blend, a Sauvignon Blanc and a Rosé.   Hoopenburg Wine Estate in the Stellenbosch region of South Africa is nourished by pure underground water, and the unique dry-land bush-vine vineyards produce grapes of exceptional taste and flavour.

A percentage of the proceeds from the Saving the Wild wine collection supports Saving the Wild’s work to advocate for specialised courts and better legislation for all endangered species.

Each bottle is a canvas featuring fine art photography donated by award-winning wildlife photographers:

• RHINO – Cabernet / Merlot - William Fortescue. 
• ELEPHANT – Sauvignon Blanc - James Lewin.
• PANGOLIN – Rosé - Aaron Gekoski. 

The fine-art photography is creatively enhanced with a gold foil embossing the rhino horn, elephant tusks, and pangolin scales – and drawing attention to the features for which these animals are illegally poached.   Saving the Wild works across Africa to protect these, and other, endangered species.

 

 With every glass, guests can learn, discover, and engage with the conservation stories behind the wines as each bottle has a QR code that launches short film content produced by Saving the Wild. 

• Saving the Wild’s recently released short film Rhino: The Endgame, featuring Dr Jane Goodall, and released shortly after her passing. Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Nmk7-VeAUE
• Saving the Wild produced the short film Kimana Tuskers, featuring Craig, in collaboration with an Academy Award-winning team and narrated by actor Djimon Hounsou.  Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MaPaTXuqh0Q

The organisation’s impact has been so remarkable that its story is now the inspiration for a feature film currently being developed by Hollywood icon Margot Robbie and her production company LuckyChap Entertainment. With the script now written, production is expected to begin in South Africa once casting is finalised.

Jamie Joseph, founder of Saving the Wild, said: “Meaningful legislative reform is critical to ending wildlife crime. The greatest challenge facing South Africa’s rhino crisis is the lack of legislation that truly deters poachers and specialised courts. Most offenders receive nothing more than minor fines or weak prison sentences, which means there is little incentive for them to stop. That’s why Saving the Wild is now focused on advocating for stronger legislation - for all endangered species - and this wine collection helps us raise funds for this critical mission.” 

Joseph, who was born in Zimbabwe, said: “Anantara Stanley & Livingstone Hotel shows us what is possible when wildlife is truly protected.  Spending time with the rangers and black rhinos on the reserve - seeing these magnificent animals move freely across the land was inspiring. I’m incredibly grateful to Minor Hotels for their sustained commitment to conservation, right across the globe.”

Nico Vivier, Regional Director of Operations & Development for Minor Hotels Africa, said: "As Minor Hotels expands into more of Africa's protected wilderness areas, we believe the protection of these ecosystems is our shared responsibility. Sustainability is at the heart of the Minor Hotels brand, making this conservation partnership a natural fit. Because exceptional food and beverage is central to great hospitality, we jumped at the opportunity to collaborate with Hoopenburg and Saving the Wild on an exclusive range of three wines, available across all Minor Hotels in Africa, which directly helps raise funding for vital wildlife conservation legislation."

Saving the Wild works across southern and east Africa, and is internationally recognised for its work dismantling high-level rhino poaching syndicates in South Africa.   Follow Saving the Wild on Instagram: @saving_the_wild and Facebook: SavingTheWild.  

The wines will be available in Minor Hotels’ properties (NH Hotels, Avani and Anantara hotels) in Africa from May 2026. Any enquiries, please contact Lisa Carey at [email protected].

Supplied by: Minor Hotels.

Guzzle Media