Ray Smuts ONLY SIX months down the line as a commercial company, former co-operative KWV has exceeded turnover of R1 billion for the first time this year amid reports of encouraging export growth. Lourens Jonker, outgoing chairman of the wine and liquor producer, told shareholders at the annual general meeting that the volume of exported branded products was up by 17% while the company’s growth plan to double volumes by 2005 was on target. Showing a healthy increase is the US where sales of Roodeberg, one of South Africa’s most acclaimed red wines, have grown by 52%. Robert’s Rock is doing well in Nordic and European markets and KWV’s brands grew by 12% in Japan. Sales are down by 1% in the South African market. It was a year of kudos for KWV brandies emerging as the top performers, the 10-year-old being crowned Best Brandy in the World for the eighth time. On the wine front the Cathedral Cellar wine range was highly acclaimed internationally. KWV is commited to building a growing interface with government in terms of the South African wine industry trust into which it will pay R370 million over ten years. Jonker retires at the end of the year after nine eventful years and is succeeded by Danie de Wet.
