VERITAS 2025

11 LIVING LEGENDS 2025

Alongside wine, Charles also turned Fairview into the country’s leading producer of artisanal cheeses. Today, Fairview is South Africa’s largest producer of specialty cheeses, stocked in major retailers across the country and closely partnered with Woolworths. Recently, the farm also walked away with the most awards at the SA Dairy Championships, a testament to the excellence of its cheesemaking legacy. True to his entrepreneurial spirit, Charles was also instrumental in putting the Swartland on the map. After discovering an old tobacco farm in Malmesbury, he established Spice Route Wines, a premium brand that helped spark what became known as the Swartland Revolution . Together with the Spice Route Destination in Paarl, the brand remains a vibrant expression of exploration and innovation. More recently Charles started the Klein Amoskuil project, where organic and traditional Georgian style natural wines are produced in qvevri – egg-shaped, unglazed earthenware vessels – in the Swartland. But perhaps Charles’ greatest legacy lies in his social impact. Long before it was common practice, he advocated for better working conditions under Apartheid, and in 1997 founded the Fair Valley Workers’ Association, giving employees the opportunity to farm their own land. More recently, he shared ownership of Fairview with longstanding staff from previously disadvantaged backgrounds, further supported by Fairtrade accreditation. Today, Charles Back remains one of the most decorated and respected figures in South African wine. Entrepreneur, innovator and community leader, he continues to honour his family’s heritage while pushing the boundaries of what Fairview can achieve, in the vineyard, in the cheesery, and in the community it calls home. Born in 1954, Michael Back has spent a lifetime dedicated to building, stewarding, and transforming the family business. After graduating from the University of Stellenbosch in 1975 with a BSc (Hons) in Agriculture, Michael returned to the Backsberg farm with a singular focus: to grow and develop the enterprise that his grandfather had begun. His entire professional career has been devoted to managing and expanding this family business – a commitment that he has carried out with passion, pragmatism and an eye on social responsibility. Michael has through the years led with heart-and-soul and conviction. He has consistently sought to keep the business profitable, to care deeply for employees and the wider community, to champion social justice, to protect and nurture the environment and to embrace technology and innovation. While the family’s business ventures have also included livestock businesses, Michael has chosen to focus on his contributions to the wine industry. These efforts reflect not only the growth of a family enterprise but also Michael and his wife, Jill’s, shared values, using business as a force for good. Michael joined his father, Sydney, in 1976 and quickly set about modernising and professionalising the business. In 1982, he launched a propagation MICHAEL BACK