Rotocon, a customized solutions provider to the label printing and packaging industry, together with its partners Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) in Pretoria, South Africa and SA Litho Label Printers, has announced the winners of its third annual student wine label design competition. The competition was open to undergraduate students in TUT’s department of visual communication (Integrated Communication Design (ICD)), with 60 students participating.
First place was awarded to Mufaro Ncube (Third Year) for his The Point label. He shared the inspiration behind the design, “This wine label design communicates luxury and exclusivity. The concept is influenced by the topographical map of Cape Town, which is highlighted through the die cut on the label.
“Cape Point serves as a focal point and conversation starter, which inspired the name of the wine. High-quality embossed finishes and classic serif fonts reinforce the significance of Rotocon, wine, and wine labeling. A hidden gem in the design is the Rotocon name, which is topographically embedded into the map of Cape Town.”
Katlego Madikane (Advanced Diploma) took second place with his Two Distal Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc designs. SA Litho Label Printers sponsored a third-place winner, awarded to Lesedi Sephadi (3rd Year) for her Ilanga Pinotage and Chardonnay designs.
Banie Stafford of B Creative, Rotocon’s marketing agency, led the competition and facilitated sessions with the students, covering an introduction to Rotocon, printing processes, and embellishments, as well as key wine label design elements, including paper, color use, die-cutting, and typography—concluding with the importance of ‘knowing your target market’. This year’s design theme was Cultivate a Life Worth Tasting.
SA Litho Label Printers will print the winning labels from the competition. On 14 April, Dawrian Salies, general manager of SA Litho, joined Michael Aengenvoort, CEO of the Rotocon Group, and Banie Stafford on the judging panel. The awards function for all participating students followed on 15 April. SA Litho Label Printers remains committed to partnering with Rotocon and TUT in all future student wine label design competitions.
The three student winners will be flown to Cape Town for a factory tour of SA Litho Label Printers on 29 May and will also be recognized at WineLand Media’s 30 Under 30 Awards on 30 May. Rotocon is sponsoring the event for the sixth consecutive year.
“One of the most important aspects of this competition is the collaboration between industry and education—it creates a platform to invest in South Africa’s future, especially in design, by giving young creatives a voice, said Stafford. “Design is a visual art form; it’s not just about aesthetics, but a powerful means of communication.”
