What are the strengths of the South-African wine industry?
The South African wine industry has continuously developed and strengthened since the end of Apartheid in 1994. Nowadays, the wine industry is a very important component of the South-Africa’s economic crown: indeed, wine sales generated R24.7bn in 2017.
Wine production in 2017 was quite good even though vineyards around Cape Town were struck by a heavy drought.
The flourishing South African wine industry benefits the whole country. South-African wines not only taste good, they also make a significant contribution to the economy and provide thousands of jobs. For exemple, each million rands invested creates 4.64 jobs. In 2016, 39 917 workers were employed in that sector.
Besides, some actors in the sector also started supporting the local social development by organizing awareness campaign regarding the main health issues and some producers also shifted to an ecofriendly production. Black owned wine brands have also emerged in the past few years.
Moreover, South-African wines are also an excellent way to show the local culture to the rest of the world. They rely on the story and the know-how of their producers.
The wine is sold both locally and internationally. In 2017, South Africa sold more bottles of wine abroad than on its national market.
South-African wines are praised globally for “their outstanding quality and distinctive character” according to, Siobhan Thompson, the president of Wines of South Africa. Their production is diversified even if still wines is dominating.
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