From wine to new ventures: How China is opening doors for a South African entrepreneur
For Graceland Vineyards winemaker Susan McNaughton, a journey to China to find new wine buyers has opened unexpected opportunities for growth, supported by Standard Bank's international trade networks.
When Stellenbosch winemaker Susan McNaughton first travelled to China, her ambition was to introduce more Chinese consumers to her family's premium wines.
What she discovered was a market of possibilities extending well beyond wine.
Her travels have taken her from trade events in Changsha and Guangzhou to the China International Import Expo (CIIE) in Shanghai. Along the way, she has met potential buyers, developed relationships with manufacturers and begun turning long-held product ideas into business ventures.
An unexpected welcome
China made an impression from the outset. After missing a train connection and arriving late without mobile data, McNaughton found strangers willing to help and a Standard Bank representative offering to collect her.
“They're friendly, they're helpful. It was really amazing,” she recalls.
That experience gave her confidence to navigate an unfamiliar market. It also demonstrated the value of having people on the ground who could provide support when needed.
At CIIE, Standard Bank provided a professionally organised exhibition platform. The arrangement enabled her to engage prospective buyers and establish connections that continue beyond the event.
“Standard Bank has given me the back-end support, which I would never be able to do. I can't get to CIIE without them,” she says.
From wine glasses to new ventures
Back home, McNaughton is a hands-on winemaker. She and her husband, Paul, bought the property that became Graceland Vineyards more than three decades ago, and she has made its wines since 2002.
Her winemaking expertise inspired one of her new ventures. Frustrated by the price of quality drinking glasses in South Africa, she sought out Chinese manufacturers capable of producing premium crystal wine glasses at more accessible prices.
The opportunities soon expanded into designer reading glasses, Cape Town-inspired tourism souvenirs, puzzles and porcelain ornaments modelled on traditional Cape-style houses.
Several products are already at various stages of development and manufacturing, with McNaughton seeing considerable potential to establish additional revenue streams.
A subsequent trip to Guangzhou broadened her manufacturing contacts. She is now planning further visits to meet suppliers and strengthen those relationships.
She has been particularly impressed by their hospitality, with manufacturers offering to collect her from railway stations and assist with travel arrangements.
For McNaughton, these experiences demonstrate how personal connections can create opportunities for lasting commercial partnerships.
Relationships that drive growth
Building those relationships takes time. McNaughton maintains contact with prospective Chinese buyers through WeChat and believes repeated visits are essential to establishing trust and credibility.
It is an approach supported by her experience in Canada, where Graceland's wine exports grew from a modest initial order to approximately 10 000 bottles annually.
“I never turn an order down,” she says, emphasising the importance of building relationships rather than pursuing immediate volumes.
She hopes to establish similarly sustainable relationships for her wines in China, while consolidating the manufacturing ventures inspired by her visits.
Her return to CIIE in November 2026 presents another opportunity to reconnect with buyers, visit manufacturers and move these projects forward.
For Standard Bank, McNaughton's journey demonstrates how connecting African entrepreneurs to international markets can do more than create export opportunities. It can inspire new products, establish new partnerships and open entirely new pathways to business growth.
Because sometimes, opening the door to one opportunity can lead to many more. And that's where real growth begins.