TRADE STATISTICS
Local sales still hold sway despite wine sector’s export drive
Nelspruit, bulked up by the Maputo Corridor and strong local tourism, is a bigger market than the whole of Canada or China, writes Michael Fridjhon
SA’s arrival on the world wine stage after the 1994 elections has long been promoted as a textbook case of a properly managed export achievement. In 1991 wine exports totalled 23-million litres. By 1994 this had grown to 50-million litres. International sales reached almost 500-million litres 20 years later — a volume which exceeded the total domestic market. The industry’s success was earned mainly on the back of the ample investment of producers’ boot leather and the ever-falling rand. This achievement owed nothing to the Department of Trade and Industry, which makes a limited (and largely affirmative action) investment in the trade show circuit. Wines of SA, the industry’s mainly self-funded export generic body, co-ordinated efforts in major markets and spent a considerable amount of money bringing influential (and sometimes not-so-influential) writers to the Cape on a regular basis. Some of these critics have now started to carve out their own little niches as Cape wine experts ...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.