Fort Simon (Pty) Ltd

What Fort Simon (Pty) Ltd does

Fort Simon (Pty) Ltd operates a family-owned wine estate in the Bottelary Hills of Stellenbosch, Western Cape, South Africa, originally established as the farm "Houmoed" by Dr. Simon Uys. The estate produces four estate wines — Cabernet Sauvignon 2020, Merlot 2022, Sauvignon Blanc 2023, and Shiraz 2022 — priced between R130 and R240 per bottle, alongside a hospitality operation that includes a tasting room (open Friday to Sunday), garden picnic experiences (R400), wedding venues at the historic Houmoed Cellar (built 1901, converted to chapel in 1967) and Fort Anna (built 1969), and conference and team-building facilities. The business is guided by the next generation of the Uys family, with Renier Uys leading the winery and Simon Uys managing vineyard development.

The company runs a direct-to-consumer go-to-market motion layered across multiple channels. Wine sales are processed through a Shopify-powered e-commerce storefront with free shipping on orders above R1000, while tasting room walk-ins are welcomed subject to availability. Wine tasting and cheese and charcuterie experiences are also distributed via the Hyperli voucher platform. Wedding and corporate event bookings are quote-based, coordinated through WhatsApp and email, and supported by Immaculate Events as the in-house wedding planning partner; multi-year seasonal wedding packages are published as downloadable PDFs extending through 2028.

Revenue derives from four streams: wine DTC sales, on-site tasting room and picnic experiences, wedding venue services with catering, and corporate conference bookings. Customer segments include wine enthusiasts and direct consumers, wedding couples, corporate event planners, and leisure event organizers. Notable third-party recognition includes Gilbert & Gaillard 91 Points Double Gold for Cabernet Sauvignon 2020 and 89 Points Gold for Merlot 2022. The estate is positioned as a premium, multi-revenue wine estate combining production, hospitality, and venue services rather than a volume wine producer.

Name

Fort Simon (Pty) Ltd

Legal name

Fort Simon Wine Estate

Website

https://fortsimon.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Fort Simon (Pty) Ltd is a family-owned Stellenbosch wine estate producing four estate wines alongside wedding venue, conference, tasting room, and picnic services. It serves wine consumers, couples, and corporate event clients via its Shopify storefront, on-site operations, and the Hyperli voucher platform.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wine Estate & Event Venue

NAICS

Wineries (312130), Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (7224), Hotels (except Casino Hotels) and Motels (72111)

SIC

Hotels & Motels (7011)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYTHAFALAE

Wineries & Vineyards (Tasting Rooms)

Travel & Hospitality/Foodservice & Beverage (Restaurants, Cafes, Bars)/Breweries, Wineries & Distilleries (Taprooms/Tasting Rooms)

SECONDARYTHAJAGAD

Wine Tastings & Vineyard/Winery Tours

Travel & Hospitality/Tours, Attractions & Experiences/Food & Drink Experiences (Culinary Tours, Tastings, Cooking Classes)

SECONDARYTHAMAEAG

Luxury Farmhouses, Country Houses & Vineyard Estates

Travel & Hospitality/Vacation Rentals & Short-Term Stays/Luxury Villas & Premium Rentals

SECONDARYCRANAAAB

Wine Shops (Off-Premise)

Consumer Products & Retail/Tobacco, Alcohol & Cannabis Retail/Alcohol Retail (Liquor Stores & Off-Premise)

Keywords

• Estate wine production
• Wine tasting experiences
• Wedding venue services
• Corporate event hosting
• Stellenbosch wine estate

Headquarters

HQ city

Stellenbosch

HQ country

South Africa

HQ region

Africa

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Wine Sales: Direct-to-consumer sales of estate wines through the Shopify e-commerce platform. Wines are shipped to customers with free shipping on orders of R1000 or more.
2. Wedding Venue & Services: Revenue from wedding venue bookings, including ceremony and reception facilities at Fort Anna and the Houmoed Cellar chapel. In-house catering and event planning services are provided.
3. Tasting Room & Experiences: On-site wine tasting experiences and tasting room bookings. Also includes picnic experiences with artisanal cheese and charcuterie platters paired with estate wines.
4. Corporate Events & Conferences: Conference and corporate function venue bookings with packages available for day and evening events. Team building experiences offered.
5. Picnic Experiences: Garden picnic basket experiences priced at R400, including artisanal cheeses, cold meats, preserves, rustic ciabatta, basket and blanket for use during the visit, with glasses provided when wine is purchased.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Fort Simon Wine Estate is a family-owned wine estate in the Bottelary Hills of Stellenbosch that produces and sells four estate wines (Cabernet Sauvignon 2020, Merlot 2022, Sauvignon Blanc 2023, Shiraz 2022) via its own Shopify online store and on-site tasting room. The estate also operates a hospitality business offering wine tasting experiences, garden picnic experiences, weddings at Fort Anna and the Houmoed Cellar chapel, and corporate conferences and team building events, with in-house catering and event planning delivered directly or through Immaculate Events.

Product overview

Fort Simon Wine Estate is a family-owned wine estate in the Bottelary Hills of Stellenbosch offering a portfolio of four estate wines (Fort Simon Cabernet Sauvignon 2020, Merlot 2022, Sauvignon Blanc 2023, and Shiraz 2022) alongside experiential services including Tasting Room Bookings, Picnic experiences, Wedding Venue and Services, and Conferences & Team Building. The Hyperli Wine Tasting voucher provides a third-party booking channel for wine experiences. All offerings are anchored by estate-grown wines from the family's vineyards.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• Gilbert & Gaillard 91 Points Double Gold Medal for Cabernet Sauvignon 2020
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• ShopifycoreTechnology or IntegrationShopify powers Fort Simon's e-commerce platform, enabling online wine sales, product catalog management, shopping cart functionality, customer accounts, and order processing. The platform also handles payment processing and powers the booking systems for events and tastings.
• HyperliminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHyperli is a South African voucher/experience platform through which Fort Simon sells wine tasting and cheese & charcuterie experience vouchers. Fort Simon allocates six spots per time slot for Hyperli voucher redemptions.
• Immaculate EventscoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerImmaculate Events provides wedding coordination and planning services for Fort Simon Wine Estate. Wedding enquiries are directed to [email protected]. The partnership provides in-house event planning and decor services to wedding clients.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Babylonstoren: Historic Stellenbosch wine estate with gardens, restaurant, farm-to-table experiences, weddings, and estate wines. Comparable family-operated heritage estate with diversified wine and hospitality revenue streams in the same region.
• Vergelegen Wine Estate: Somerset West wine estate (adjacent to Stellenbosch) with historic estate buildings, gardens, wine tastings, restaurant, and events. Comparable heritage wine estate with experiential tourism offerings.
• Boschendal Wine Estate: Historic Stellenbosch wine estate (dating to 1685) offering wines, farm-to-table dining, weddings, conferences, accommodation, and farm experiences. Comparable heritage estate with multi-revenue experiential model.
• Rustenberg Wines: Family-owned Stellenbosch wine estate with premium estate wines and tasting experiences. Comparable family-owned wine estate in the same region with similar boutique positioning.
• Tokara Wine Estate: Stellenbosch wine estate offering premium wines, fine dining restaurant, art gallery, and tasting experiences. Comparable boutique-to-mid-size wine estate with on-site restaurant and visitor experiences.
• Spier Wine Estate: Major Stellenbosch wine estate with extensive wine portfolio, multiple restaurants, conference facilities, weddings, and tasting room experiences. Comparable diversified wine estate model though at significantly larger scale.
• Delaire Graff Estate: Luxury Stellenbosch wine estate offering premium wines, fine dining restaurants, art collection, wedding venues, and tasting experiences. Most directly comparable to Fort Simon given similar multi-revenue wine estate model with weddings and tastings in the same region.
• Lourensford Wine Estate: Somerset West wine estate (near Stellenbosch) with wine tastings, restaurant, market, and events. Comparable wine estate offering diverse visitor experiences and wine portfolio.

Market position

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/fort-simon-pty-ltd

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Fort Simon (Pty) Ltd