ROTOCON held an awards ceremony for its 2025 Wine Label Design Competition on 15 April at the Protea Hotel Fire and Ice in Pretoria. Together with its partners, Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) and SA Litho Label Printers, ROTOCON announced the winners and celebrated youth advancement through digital label design.
This was the third annual student wine label design competition in which ROTOCON called on undergraduate students from TUT’s Department of Visual Communications to design wine bottle labels. The winners of the competition were: Mufaro Ncube in first place for his design ‘The Point’ label, for which he won a prize of R30,000. Katlego Madikane was runner up for ‘Two Distal’ Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc designs, winning R15,000. Lesedi Sephadi came in third place for the ‘Ilanga’ Pinotage and Chardonnay design, winning R10,000.
The three student winners will be flown to Cape Town for a factory tour of SA Litho Label Printers on 29 May and will also be recognised at WineLand Media’s 30 Under 30 Awards on 30 May. ROTOCON is sponsoring the event for the sixth consecutive year.
Ncube shared the inspiration behind the design: ‘This wine label design communicates luxury and exclusivity. The concept is influenced by the topographical map of Cape Town, which is highlighted through the die cut on the label. Cape Point serves as a focal point and conversation starter, which inspired the name of the wine. High-quality embossed finishes and classic serif fonts reinforce the significance of ROTOCON, wine, and wine labelling. A hidden gem in the design is the ROTOCON name, which is topographically embedded into the map of Cape Town.’
The competition was open to undergraduate students in TUT’s Department of Visual Communication Integrated Communication Design (ICD), Faculty of Arts and Design, with 60 students participating. This year’s design theme was ‘Cultivate a Life Worth Tasting’.
Keynote speaker Michael Aengenvoort, ROTOCON Group CEO, addressed ROTOCON’s passion for the youth and their future in industry development: ‘We try to encourage the youth to be ambitious and see that they can achieve something if they put effort in. This competition is more than a design challenge. It’s a reminder that, like great wine, a meaningful life takes time, integrity, and collaboration to craft. Invest in your passions, support one another, and savour every opportunity to grow. The future of our industry and our world depends on the creativity and character you bring to the table. Cultivate a life worth tasting.’
Banie Stafford, owner of B.Creative, ROTOCON’s marketing and advertising agency, was a driving force behind the competition. Having been a TUT alumnus himself, he approached the university with the plan to give back to his alma mater by up-skilling young designers with practical work experience. ‘I saw it as a good opportunity to give knowledge back to the community, and give students the real life feel of a designer working with a client,’ said Stafford.
‘One of the most important aspects of this competition is the collaboration between industry and education — it creates a platform to invest in South Africa’s future, especially in design, by giving young creatives a voice,’ said Stafford. ‘Design is a visual art form; it’s not just about aesthetics, but a powerful means of communication.’
Dawrian Salies, General Manager at SA Litho Label Printers, sponsored the third place prize of R10,000. Salies and SA Litho Label Printers will also be printing the winner’s labels using their ROTOCON print, cutting and finishing machines. He added, ‘Last year we made an investment in our digital print production facility with a ROTOCON chrome machine, featuring Swiss foiling and embossing capabilities. The winning students’ designs will be replicated on that piece of equipment.’
Schalk Van Staden, Acting Head of the Department of Visual Communication at TUT, gave the closing address. He expressed admiration for what the students had achieved and mentioned the hope he had for their bright future in the design industry.
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