Advertorial: Nedbank introduces Alchemy platform to promote SA creators

South Africa’s creative scene is broad and energetic, but only a handful of creators usually get the chance to turn talent into real opportunity. The Nedbank Alchemy aims to shift that balance – a platform intended to support creators rather than simply display them. The focus is on the people behind the work as much as the work itself.

The initiative’s first outing, The Alchemy of Taste, brings together two prominent figures: winemaker Matthew Day of Klein Constantia and chef-presenter Nti. Their collaboration wasn’t about engineered “perfect pairings” so much as exploring how heritage and craft can intersect.

Speaking after the launch, both reflected on creativity, collaboration and how flavour can be used to tell stories.

Matthew Day: Heritage and exploration

For Day, winemaking sits at the junction of a farming background and curiosity. Growing up on a farm shaped his connection to the land, later reinforced by studies at Stellenbosch and stints in Barossa, Napa, Bordeaux and Sancerre. “Each place showed me how site shapes wine,” he says.

At the centre of the project is The Alchemy Cabernet Sauvignon 2023, made at Klein Constantia – recently ranked No. 6 on The World’s 50 Best Vineyards list. Day calls it a “barrel selection from a single vineyard that expresses place”, adding that his intention was to keep the process simple and avoid overworking the wine. “Wine shouldn’t dominate the experience – it should add to it.”

The fruit comes from Block 6 at Anwilka, a parcel Day says always looked promising. When the Alchemy project came along, timing and material aligned. He’s also pleased the initiative includes the Alchemists Fund to help emerging winemakers. “Being the first winemaker involved is humbling,” he says.

Chef Nti: Storytelling through food

For Nti, cooking begins with memory and meaning. Her style draws on African heritage but is presented in a contemporary way. “Every dish carries something emotional,” she says. “The question is always: what story does this ingredient want to tell?”

In working with Day, she applied the same approach. Pairing was less about technical matches and more about aligning mood and intention. “Each wine had its own personality. My job was to create dishes that could meet it where it was,” she says.

Restraint became a central theme in her menu. “Transformation doesn’t always require more – sometimes it requires less, but with clarity,” she says. The aim was connection: dishes that spoke to culture, place and the evolution of African cuisine.

A Shared Outlook

Both makers see food and wine as tools for connection rather than endpoints. Day notes that winemakers are “just characters in a long story”, while Nti talks about food as a language that carries memory and identity.

The Alchemy of Taste is intended as the first chapter in a longer project. Future editions will involve new crafts and new collaborators, with the broader goal of creating opportunities for emerging talent and giving heritage a meaningful platform.

• Content sponsored by Nedbank.