Our Story
Baobab Wines was founded in 2015 with the mission to bring the best of South Africa to the United States.
We represent the new South Africa and are proud to be over 50% diversified in our portfolio selection. We celebrate a new dawn of South African winemakers and brand owners in our portfolio alongside some of the most coveted multi-generational family owned Estates from the key Appellations of South Africa. We support makers who make wine the right way. Sustainable farming practices with minimal intervention techniques where Viticulture takes prominence over the cellar in every bottle of wine.
We are proud of our African roots, and even prouder to be able to share the remarkable stories and wines from these producers with the United States. The baobab tree is indigenous to Africa and lies at the heart of many African cultures, and can live for up to 5,000 years. Baobab trees provide shelter, food and water for animals and humans therefore known as "The Tree of Life".
Distributing nationally across the United States, Baobab Wines has built the reputation of having one of the most exciting South African wine portfolios in the Country.
Our People
Giles Thomas - Founder, Owner, Operator
“We celebrate a new dawn of South African winemakers and brand owners in our portfolio alongside some of the most coveted multigenerational family owned Estates from the key Appellations of South Africa. We support producers who make wine the right way.”
Born in Zambia and raised on a farm, his early life instilled a deep respect for the land, agriculture, and the values of hard work and resilience. His career led him across the African continent, where he spent over two decades working in key leadership at DHL, British American Tobacco, and Vodafone. It was during this time, tackling some of the world’s largest supply chain challenges to build major infrastructure in remote regions across Africa, that he honed an unparalleled skillset of how to move products to the right place at the right time and at the right price.
But beyond logistics, Giles has always been drawn to people - their stories, talents, and the connections that tie us together. His experiences across cultures and communities fostered a lasting appreciation for authenticity, reinvested empowerment, and storytelling.
Cape Town became his place of recharge, and the Cape Winelands a source of joy and inspiration. It was there that a love for South African wine truly took root. After relocating to the US in 2015 with his family, Giles sought a way to stay connected to Africa while building something meaningful in his new home.
That vision became a greater purpose as Baobab Wines - driven by a love for wine and passion for encouraging trade between America and Africa and showcasing the amazing talent that exists on the African continent, all underpinned by a career of supply chain excellence. Today, Baobab Wines mission is to source South Africa’s most compelling producers and share their purposeful journeys through every bottle with refined focus across the United States of America.
Samantha Blackbeard - Sales Director
“The ignited excitement for South African wine is unmatched - where purpose, place, nature and people culminate into something truly extraordinary‘
A proud South African, Samantha’s passion for wine is rooted in her love for the country’s diverse terroir, cultures, and a belief in storytelling as a powerful tool for connection. With an exciting background in marketing and brand strategy previously leading the multinational growth of premium imported wines in South Africa, a deeper purpose was ignited to elevate South African wines in the US.
Her career blends creativity with commercial insight, and her career time spent in California deepened her admiration for the country’s vast, multifaceted market and the diversity of its people. Driven by an aligned mission to showcase outstanding producers with core values, she brings both vision and dedication to her role at Baobab Wines. She focuses on building meaningful partnerships and sparking curiosity among US buyers and drinkers - inviting them to discover the depth and character of South Africa’s most exciting producers.
