The Department of Viticulture and Oenology (DVO) and the South African Grape and Wine Research Institute (SAGWRI) have always valued its close relationship with the grape and wine industries, using it as a means to keep up to date with what the industry needs and to engage in various activities in the sector. One way of keeping a finger on the pulse is having staff members serve on societal and other industry-related committees. Dr Jeanne Brand and Ms Talitha Venter serve on the South African Society for Enology and Viticulture board and, through this role, are part of the organising committee for the Table Grape Conference 2026, with Ms Venter serving as conference chair.

It is with great excitement that we announce the first South African Table Grape Conference to be held on 5th and 6th August 2026 at Allée Bleue, Franschhoek. The conference is hosted in collaboration between the South African Society for Enology and Viticulture (SASEV) and the South African Table Grape Industry (SATI). The core theme of the conference is Connecting ideas | Cultivating success and the event will serve a s a platform to bring together leading researchers, industry role players and producers. It marks the next phase of collaboration between SASEV and SATI aiming to make research accessible to producers and industry experts, ensuring a sustainable future for the table grape sector based on innovation and informed decisions. 

Organisation of the event is in full swing! Call for abstracts for scientific full oral and flash presentations are currently open and will close on 15 May 2026. Abstracts can be submitted online via a submission form: https://forms.gle/EcCiicGfLtuQ4A227 under four themes:

• Our Industry: Local overview and global perspectives
• Plant health: Towards a healthier future
• A sustainable table grape future: Innovations and new insights
• Delivering quality products: Post-harvest management and packaging

We encourage faculty members and students from all departments who work on Table Grapes in the fields relating to the four themes to submit abstracts for the conference. 

Various sponsorship opportunities are also available, and we invite companies and organisations to partner with us as sponsors. The full sponsorship prospectus can be accessed on the SASEV event website: https://events.sasev.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/TGC2026-Prospectus_final.pdf and sponsorship enquiries can be directed to Tarryn Wettergreen via email at [email protected]. 

Keep an eye out on our socials for more information and we hope to see you at this exciting event! For more information about SASEV visit www.sasev.org and for general enquiries contact us at [email protected].

• https://www.facebook.com/SASEV.SAWWV

• South African Society for Enology and Viticulture (@sasev_platform) • Instagram photos and videos

• https://www.linkedin.com/company/sa-society-for-enology-viticulture

• https://www.linkedin.com/company/satgi/?originalSubdomain=za