By Zanele Makola
Mufaro Ncube, a 21-year-old third-year Integrated Communication Design (ICD) student at the Tshwane University of Technology’s Faculty of Arts and Design, has won the prestigious 2025 ROTOCON Wine Label Design Competition. The announcement, made on 15 April at the Protea Hotel Fire & Ice in Pretoria, marked not only a personal achievement for Ncube but also a proud moment for the University and the broader design community.
The judges were so impressed by this year’s outstanding entries that they also awarded Katlego Madikane, a 22-year-old Advanced Diploma student, and Lesedi Sephadi, a 20-year-old third-year student, as the runner-up and second runner-up, respectively.
This talented trio emerged from a dynamic group of 60 ICD students who embraced this year’s design theme, Cultivate a Life Worth Tasting, and were challenged to develop innovative and cutting-edge wine label designs for the competition.
Participants were required to create professional label designs that not only demonstrated a strong design process and ideation but also considered modern printing techniques and finishing touches such as foils, varnishes, die-cuts and embossing. Comprehensive research and concept development were expected, resulting in high-quality, professionally presented label designs—both as print production flats and 3D visualisations.
Ncube’s winning design, titled The Point, conveys luxury and exclusivity. It is inspired by the geographical map of Cape Town, highlighted through a die-cut pattern. The wine’s name draws inspiration from Cape Point, serving as both a focal point and a conversation starter. High-quality embossing and classic serif fonts further enhanced the design, reflecting the prestige of ROTOCON, wine culture, and label craftsmanship. The ROTOCON name is cleverly embedded in the design as a topographical feature on the map of Cape Town.
This year’s winner received R30 000 in prize money, along with valuable public relations and commercial exposure through the competition. Ncube, along with the runner-up and second runner-up, will be honoured at the WineLand Media 30 Under 30 Awards on 30 May, with ROTOCON sponsoring the event for the sixth consecutive year.
“This was completely unexpected and a personal achievement for a design in which I invested my heart and soul,” said Ncube.
The runner-up received R15 000 from ROTOCON, while the second runner-up won R10 000 from Dawrian Salies, General Manager of SA Litho Label Printers, a new competition partner this year. This year also marks the third consecutive collaboration between ROTOCON and TUT in hosting the competition.
“Our students are afforded a rare opportunity to work directly with international specialists, gaining invaluable hands-on industry experience that enhances their future competitiveness in an increasingly cut-throat industry. These mutually beneficial relationships are only possible through long-term commitments from both partners,” said Dr Herman Botes, Head of the Department of Visual Communication.
Michael Aengenvoort, CEO of ROTOCON, shared words of encouragement with the students: “Remember, the finest wines come from vines that endured storms, heat and cold. Challenges are not obstacles; they are the tannins of your personal story. They add depth and character,” he said.
