Marilyn Cooper was a respected Cape Wine Master, educator and wine judge whose passion, determination and ambition left a lasting mark on South Africa’s wine industry. A former Principal, Managing Director and CEO of the Cape Wine Academy, she championed wine education, transformation and greater opportunities for women in an industry traditionally dominated by men.
Marilyn began her formal wine studies at the Cape Wine Academy in 1986, at the age of 38. She worked as a Wine Advisor for Picardi Magnum in Bedfordview from 1991 to 1995, before compiling restaurant wine lists for Cellarmaster from 1995 to 1999. She qualified as a Cape Wine Master in 1999, completing a research project titled “How to improve wine sales in a retail store in Gauteng”.
In July 1999, Marilyn joined the Cape Wine Academy as Manager for the North, based in Johannesburg. She subsequently served as Principal, Managing Director and CEO, and was also a shareholder in the Academy. She played an important role in its transition to a private company and continued to advance its educational work until her retirement in December 2013, after approximately 15 years of service, including six as CEO.
During her tenure, Marilyn worked tirelessly to strengthen the Academy’s standing and expand access to wine education. In 2011, the institution reached the milestone of more than 100 000 course enrolments since its establishment. Her leadership helped prepare students for careers across the wine, hospitality and tourism sectors, equipping them with skills relevant to both local and international opportunities.
Marilyn was particularly passionate about using education to create employment and improve service standards. She secured funding from the Department of Tourism and the Expanded Public Works Programme to train 200 unemployed young people from townships in the Cape and Gauteng through the Wine Advisor – Level 1 Cape Sommelier™ programme. She regarded the initiative as one of her most rewarding projects, taking pride in seeing participants gain the knowledge, enthusiasm and confidence to pursue new opportunities.
Her commitment to transformation was also reflected in her role in launching and organising the Soweto Wine Festival. The event became one of South Africa’s most successful township wine festivals, attracting approximately 10 000 wine consumers and helping to introduce wine to a broader audience.
Marilyn’s wine knowledge was enriched by extensive international travel. She explored Bordeaux, Burgundy, the Loire, Champagne, the Rhône and Alsace, as well as Portugal, Italy, Spain, California and Argentina, both as a guide and in the company of Master of Wine Remington Norman.
She brought this experience to her work as a judge at many of South Africa’s leading wine competitions. These included the Veritas Awards, Trophy Wine Show, Michelangelo Wine Awards, Terroir Awards, Juliet Cullinan Wine Awards, Muscadel Competition, Woman Winemaker of the Year, Diners Club Winemaker of the Year and Diners Club Young Winemaker of the Year. She also judged for WINE, WineLand and Classic Wine magazines.
Her achievements earned recognition beyond the wine industry. In 2009, she was named a finalist in CEO Magazine’s “Most Influential Women in Business and Government” awards, and she was nominated again in 2010.
A formidable leader and passionate educator, Marilyn devoted much of her career to sharing knowledge, opening doors and strengthening the communities she served. She left a lasting legacy of education, transformation and opportunity within South Africa’s wine and hospitality industries. Sadly, Marilyn passed away after a long battle with cancer on 22 October 2026.
