“My name is Xolani Mzileni from Empangeni, near Richards Bay, KwaZulu-Natal. I work for The Beverly Hills hotel as a waiter at the Sugar Club Restaurant.
My introduction to the wine industry was back in 2009 under the mentorship of the legendary Thato Goimane planted a huge interest and passion in me. I have been learning and collecting knowledge through the years and I recently participated in the Distell Inter Hotel Challenge in 2018, which was an eye-opener for me and I learned a lot. It is a huge honour and a great opportunity to represent one of the biggest hotels again this year which is The Beverly Hills Hotel. My vision is to become one of the respected wine Sommeliers of this country and maybe the world. I have hope that this platform will provide me with the needed skills and mindset of a true Sommelier.”