Luyolo Mtiyane grew up in Johannesburg and, after graduating from high school, moved to Cape Town to study at the University of Cape Town (UCT). Here, she signed up for UCT Wine Society, was her first introduction to wine. There she discovered that wine was more than just a beverage.
During the Covid-19 lockdown in 2020, she discovered her passion for wine. "An acquaintance had a multitude of wine she had been keeping and seeing an image of her collection ignited the passion," says Luyolo. "That’s how I got back into wine. And since then have been obsessed with learning about, drinking and collecting wine."
Her goal is to visit 100 wine farms before turning 30. She created a wine club named Grape Gathering for like-minded wine lovers to join her on her journey. The club meets up on the first Sunday of every month at a predetermined wine farm, and has become a place to forge new relationships while visiting beautiful wineries and tasting wine.
In 2023, Luyolo passed the South African Sommeliers Association (SASA) junior sommelier exam.
Luyolo made WineLand Media's 30 Under 30 list in 2024 – a list of 30 young professionals recognised for their contributions to the South African wine industry.