The Southern Africa region susceptibility to climate variability and drought poses food insecurity threat to small scale farmers. The need for drought tolerant varieties has brought breeding trials for desired traits. This brief reports that breeding for drought-prone environments is truly challenging as adaption to drought can be achieved through drought escape, drought avoidance or drought tolerance. It concludes by documenting that in Mozambique, vine vigor has proved to be an essential and straightforward trait to select for drought tolerance.