Meet Our Team
Our young, vibrant management team subscribes to an innovative, modern corporate culture. This encourages entrepreneurial thinking, allows for flexibility, and facilitates prompt, efficient customer service. In dealing with our customers, the focus is on partnerships – we thus go out of our way to offer excellent value and sustain a high degree of consistency.
Executive Chairman/Owner
Gerhard van der Wath
The Man Behind the Brand – Executive Chairman/Owner
Gerhard comes from a humble background and he studied hard to become qualified as a lawyer. A client then offered him a partnership in a winery which he accepted and after just a few years he bought his partner’s shares, taking the winery in a new direction. Overhex Wines International (OWI) was born, and twelve years later has become one of the largest wine exporters in South Africa.
A true survivor and entrepreneur at heart Gerhard has dedicated himself to bringing the best quality wine to the right markets. And as he rightly says, “Wine is all about fun, and we indeed have fun by doing the little things a little differently”.
Production Director
Gert van Wyk
The Grapes Guy – Production Director
Gert is a key member of the Overhex management team and joined the company in 2013, armed with a National Agricultural Diploma and extensive experience as an agricultural economist. Among his main responsibilities at Overhex is the sourcing of quality grapes and quality wines from primary producers across the Cape Winelands. For this purpose, he has built lasting relationships with selected grape growers as well as the cellar managers and winemakers of some of South Africa’s top cellars and estates, ensuring consistent quality and economic viability for our bulk wine clients.
Financial Director
Stephan van As
The Numbers Wizard – Financial Director
Stephan has been with the Overhex Group for more than 12 years already and worked his way through the ranks from Assistant Accountant to Account at Overhex Private Cellar, and then to Financial Manager and finally Financial Director of Overhex Wines International. Originally from Worcester, Stephan qualified with a BCompt from Unisa in 2000 where after he articled at BGR Jacobs & Partners Auditors before joining Overhex.
Sales and Marketing Director
Chantelle Potgieter
The World Traveller – Sales and Marketing Director
Chantelle has been quite a traveller from an early age, living in various parts of the Western Cape and Gauteng before settling in Worcester. Her career started in the financial sector and prior to joining Overhex she was a Management Accountant at Woolworths for four years. Her first wine industry role was at Deetlefs Wine Estate where she started as an accountant and over 10 years filled many positions before her final position as international sales manager. Chantelle joined the Overhex group in 2013 as International Sales Manager for packaged products and is currently the Sales Director managing all bulk and packaged sales.
National Sales Director
Zola Mazamisa
The Salesman – National Sales Director
Our policy of appointing creative, forward-thinking people to our team is in line with our innovative corporate culture. Zola has a BTech in Marketing from the University of Johannesburg and a post graduate diploma in Management from Thames Valley University in the UK. Add to this his extensive experience gained at companies such as Wesbank, Caltex Oil, SAB, Diageo and Vinimark – to mention but a few – and it’s clear that our National Sales Director is well equipped for his job. Having joined the team in September 2016, Zola has already made quite an impact nationally and now has his eye on the wider African market!
Operational Director
Jaco van der Merwe
The Planner – Operational Director
Having completed a B.Com Accounting Hons at the University of Pretoria, Jaco embarked on his career as a financial accountant. After completing his audit articles at Arthur Andersen, Jaco was appointed Manager of the Strategic Division where he gained vast experience in process re-engineering, cost of quality, activity based costing and benchmarking.
Jaco got involved in the wine industry in 1996 and his focus areas have been secondary production, managing supply chain, quality systems and corporate social programmes. He played a major role in the establishment of the Winds of Change BEE initiative and also the Fairhills Fairtrade project. He was a founding member of WIETA and served as Chairperson of the Board for several years. Jaco joined Overhex in 2017 and he’s already made a significant contribution to the success of our company and that of our clients.
Head Winemaker
Ben Snyman
The Charmer – Head Winemaker
Ben graduated with a degree in viticulture and oenology in 2009 at the University of Stellenbosch. During his time in Stellenbosch he completed harvests at Vrede en Lust, Boschendal and a range of other prestigious estates. After his studies Ben travelled internationally and completed a harvest in Sonoma Valley, California before being appointed winemaker at Overhex Private Cellar in 2010. In 2016, he was promoted to head winemaker of Overhex Wines International and is now the winemaker behind our expansive portfolio.
Winemaker
Willie Malan
The Wine Guy – Winemaker & Cellar Master
Willie has been with Overhex since 2002 when he joined the company as a cellar assistant. Willie has worked his way through the ranks and now heads up the day-to-day operation of the cellar as Cellar Master. Before joining Overhex, he completed his agricultural studies at Elsenburg College in 1999 and worked as a harvest intern at several cellars in South Africa (Montagu and Franschhoek) and abroad (Pomerol, France). Winemaking has always been in his blood as Willie was born and raised in Montagu where his father taught him the art of winemaking from a young age as he was also a winemaker for 35 years.
Financial Manager
Hanlie Botha
The Number Cruncher – Financial Manager
Born and raised in Reivilo in the Northern Cape, Hanlie’s journey to Overhex came via Bloemfontein where she studied a Bachelors of Commerce degree majoring in Accounting. After studying she worked for Clover in Bethlehem, Heilbron, Roodepoort and Bellville where after she resigned to start a family. Hanlie joined Overhex in 2008 as a production accountant on a temporary basis and worked her way up from financial accountant to her current position as Financial Manager of the Overhex group.
Operational Manager
Rencia Uys
The Magician – Operational Manager
Rencia hails from Bredasdorp and studied Public Relations at Boland College and the Cape Peninsula University of Technology qualifying with a National Diploma in 1997. The following year she started working for the Overhex Group, where she’s been (bar a brief hiatus to start a family) ever since. Rencia started out as a Public Relations Officer at Overhex where after she assisted in the Logistics and Export department before taking up her current role as Operational Manager.
Logistical Manager
Elizma Kolver
The Chaos Coordinator – Logistical Manager
Elizma was born and raised in Vredenburg on the West Coast and graduated from Boland College in 1997 with a National Diploma in Management Assistance. She worked as a Logistics Manager in other industries before joining Overhex (and the wine industry) in March 2016. Having started as Logistic Administrator, Elizma now heads up the Logistics department ensuring delivery of our products to all corners of the world.
National Sales Manager
Tanja Booysen
The Relationship Builder – National Sales Manager
Tanja graduated with a National Diploma in Tourism from Boland College in 2001. Before joining Overhex Tanja worked as a Public Relations Officer at Aan de Doorns Cellar from 2004 to 2008, and as the Export Administrator at Zidela Wines from 2008 to June of 2011. In her six years since joining the Overhex Group Tanja has filled many positions from Bistro Manager, to Western Cape Sales Representative, to Marketing Assistant, to Sales and Administrative Assistant, to Western Cape Sales Manager and currently National Sales Manager since October 2017.
Marketing Manager
Carla Joubert
The Brand Builder – Marketing Manager
Carla joined the Overhex Group in June 2016 with 11 years wine industry experience fulfilling various roles from Brand Ambassador to Marketing Assistant, to Wine Writer, to Tasting Room Manager, and even Communications Strategist. Her career started when she simultaneously fell in love with wine and a winemaker (now her husband) while studying a Bachelor of Arts Degree (2009) and Post Graduate Diploma in Marketing (2010) at the University of Stellenbosch. Carla is a keen wine enthusiast and holds a WSET Level 3 Award in Wines and Spirits (2011) as well as having completed Michael Fridjhon’s Wine Judging Academy in 2016.
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