boost their positions and become accepted: Social capital – resources accessible through networks, relationships, group memberships, be they family, social or professional. Cultural capital – know-how gathered through socialisation, embodied in taste and style, institutionalised through qualifications. Symbolic capital – the status, prestige, and positive reputation that entrepreneurs possess in the eyes of others. All our interviewees consider their education (cultural capital), previous job experiences (human capital) and contacts inside and outside the industry (social capital) as preparing them for entrepreneurship and bolstering their identities. It is cultural capital that stands out. They talked of their struggles, of prejudice, of how their ability to operate a wine business has been challenged, of how they are persistently not taken seriously. So they focus on non-economic capital, highlighting the importance of their education and professional training, and disengaging from their social identities as black women. They needed their skills and professional experiences – cultural and human capital – to lay the foundations for acceptance. All possess competence in wine appreciation, and used their capital to overcome embedded bias and assumptions of illiteracy and the impossibility of being both a black woman and a business leader. They are disrupting the status quo and slowly transforming the industry, gaining recognition from established figures and earning legitimate entrepreneurial labels. Elena said: “The unacceptance that comes with looking like me in this business was intense… But my education helped a great deal… Also, my connections within and outside of the industry were handy.” CHOOSING AN IDENTITY Those we spoke to equate being black women with mental fortitude, and yet they do not prioritise these words in discussions of their entrepreneurial identities. There is a friction between entrepreneurial self-identity and the social identity of being a black woman. Who, what and how black women selfidentify as entrepreneurs is not the same as how others identify them. The women assign their difficulties to their marginalised social identities of black women. Their supposed deficiencies restrict their access to the established networks, so they ignore social practices that exclude them, instead embracing the characteristics of the entrepreneur. Whether consciously or otherwise, these black women entrepreneurs have internalised the heroic qualities expected of entrepreneurs and claimed them as their self-identities. They have learned and adopted the language and behaviour of other winemakers – those white, male, middle-class businessmen who have dominated the industry since it began. They do not see adopting the male stereotypes as being a negative thing – even if it leads to them being seen as an ‘angry black woman’ or a ‘bitch’ – as it is what has been expected of entrepreneurs in the industry, and thus if they achieve their goals, it is a good fit for them. Contrarily, if they were to be seen as black women typically are, they would feel at a disadvantage. This is not to say they are not proud of being pioneers – of being the only black woman in the room – rather that they feel the need to fit into the established structures if they are to be a success and lay the groundwork for others to follow. They assist other disadvantaged young black females through training, helping to shape the next generation in the industry – rejecting the norms that would have these successors as servants with no entrepreneurial skills. Angela, a stakeholder with 30 years of experience in the industry, told us: “These black women entrepreneurs are coming up strongly in the industry. They are well-read, they know their onions and cannot be trifled with… Now they are seen as trailblazers, a force to be reckoned with.” DISRUPTING THE STATUS QUO In using their cultural capital, these businesswomen show a great sense of how to play the game. They challenge the social structural norms of the industry, and alter the perceptions of what is legitimate. For black women entrepreneurs, becoming legitimate is not automatic, and being black and a woman have been markers of both structural and historical disadvantage, manifested in reduced access to capital and legitimacy. With their efforts, these women are altering the long-established status quo of the social structure within the South African wine industry, and driving inclusive economic growth in a country where not so long ago that would have been impossible. FIFTY FOUR DEGREES | 25 Dr Funmi Ojediran completed her PhD in the Department of Entrepreneurship and Strategy in December 2022. This article is based on the paper Identities and the pursuit of legitimacy: A study of black womenwine industry entrepreneurs, by Dr Funmi Ojediran, Dr Allan Discua Cruz and Professor Alistair Anderson. It is published in the International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behaviour and Research. f.ojediran@lancaster.ac.uk
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