Number of Homes: 21 (Including Investec House)
Restaurants: 2
Cove and Small Boat Harbour
Number of Wine Farms: 39
Number of Boats and Barges: 46
Number of Sea Vista Residents: 112
The iconic Wine on Water™ (WOW) festival, hosted by the Rotary Club of St Francis, proudly celebrated its 5th year in 2026. Sponsored by Investec, WOW remains the flagship fundraising event for the Rotary Club of St Francis, combining world-class wine tasting with a unique canal-side experience, all while supporting vital community projects in St Francis Bay and the greater Kouga area.
BACKGROUND
The Rotary Club of St Francis was chartered in November 2019, after elevating from satellite-club status. Since then, we’ve served the greater St Francis area, as well as Humansdorp, Hankey, Patensie, and Jeffreys Bay. Our club and our Wine on Water event continue to grow and thrive, benefiting both the community and the causes we support.
In 2019, the Rotary Club of St Francis recognized that without significant fundraising, we would not be able to initiate and fund the numerous projects aimed at supporting and uplifting the communities we serve.
After several brainstorming sessions, the concept of Wine on Water™ (WOW) was born. It was agreed that WOW would become the Rotary Club of St Francis’s iconic annual event, attracting upmarket participants from across South Africa and positioning itself as a “must-attend” event.
Although originally planned for 2019, the event was held in 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The event was quickly recognized as iconic, and this recognition was further confirmed when tickets for WOW 2023 sold out in just 58 minutes and in 2025, Saturday tickets sold out in 27 minutes.
Each year, from 2022 to 2025, we have built on the experiences and feedback from the previous year, constantly improving and elevating our event. Starting with WOW 2022, we learned valuable lessons that helped shape WOW 2023, where we believe we truly “raised the bar,” creating an exceptional experience for all involved. WOW 2024 took that momentum further, building on the successes of the previous years, and we are already excited about the achievements of WOW 2025 and our plans for 2026 and beyond. Each year, we continue to improve, growing both in our impact and in the way we bring the community together.
WOW™ is a registered trademark of the Rotary Club of St Francis®.
In terms of economic impact, WOW has significantly boosted the local economy. Before WOW, February and March were generally quiet in St Francis. Now, the village sees an influx of visitors, with businesses benefiting from the increased activity. It is estimated that visitors spent approximately R4.76 million on accommodation, food, and sporting events during the WOW weekend. (Please check these figures with Tourism.)
HOMEOWNERS: THE HEART OF WOW
WOW would not be possible without the generous contributions of private homeowners. Homes along the St Francis Bay canals are provided free of charge for up to four days for preparation, the event, and cleanup. Homeowners receive two complimentary WOW tickets per day and access to six preferential paid tickets for family and friends.
Every ticket purchased and every sip enjoyed directly supports vital projects and charities that make a real difference in the lives of people in St Francis and surrounding areas.
EMPOWERING COMMUNITY
A special thank you to the Sea Vista residents who serve as our deck and jetty marshals for Wine on Water over the years. These residents are given the opportunity to earn through their involvement in the event. They play a crucial role in ensuring the smooth and safe arrival of boats and barges carrying our guests, assisting with docking and helping guests on and off the vessels. They also make sure that everyone is wearing the proper event bands upon arrival.
Where decks are accessible by road, marshals guide guests to the correct routes leading to the wine tasting area, checking for event bands and ensuring the safety of both guests and property owners throughout the day.
The Sibanye Youth were trained to assist at the WOW registration tent, contributing to the event’s seamless operation. Their dedication and hard work make all the difference.
SUPPORTING THE COMMUNITY
Every rand raised at WOW contributes to a wide array of Rotary-supported projects and charities, including:
- Foster – Environmental
- Animal Welfare St Francis
- Animal Welfare J Bay
- Spay It Forward
- SPCA
- Animal Welfare Oyster Bay
- NSRI
- Hospice
- Hospice Car
- Humansdorp School
- Sea Vista Clinic
- Talhado Children’s Haven
- Disneyland Creche
- Youth Development
- Sports Support
- E’Pap – Food Relief
- Ons Tuiste – Old Age Home
- Kromme Enviro Trust – Environment
- Food Relief / Soup Kitchen
- Sea Vista School / Education
- Sundry Donations
- Sports Field – Sea Vista
- Santa Box Expenses – Old Age Home
- Fire Station
- Sanitary Pads / Nappies
- Special Projects
- Eye Laser – Gift of Sight
- Community Umbrella
- Sea Vista Creche’s
- Pregnancy Help Network
- Fire Extinguisher Project
The four largest beneficiaries of Rotary funding in 2025 were:
- Hospice – including a much-needed car and substantial support for running costs
- Fire Station Project – successfully completed
- Sea Vista Primary School – funding for two teachers
- Talhado Children’s Haven – significant financial contribution
HOMEOWNERS: THE HEART OF WOW (REITERATED)
WOW would not be possible without the generous contributions of private homeowners. Homes along the St Francis Bay canals are provided free of charge for up to four days for preparation, the event, and cleanup. Homeowners receive two complimentary WOW tickets per day and access to six preferential paid tickets for family and friends.
Every ticket purchased and every sip enjoyed directly supports vital projects and charities that make a real difference in the lives of people in St Francis and surrounding areas.
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