SACD makes bold entry into wine export market

First specialised facility opens in Cape SOUTH AFRICA’S booming wine export market has captured the attention of the industry, not least SA Container Depots which is preparing to exploit its potential vigorously, says marketing director Geoff Popple. Its first specialist wine facility opened in the Cape recently, offering 3000 square metres of temperature-controlled cold storage space, with the option to extend this by a further 1 500 square metres. Having just added Winecorp to its customer base, the company is keen to explore further specialised facilities. “We will invest in whatever form is required by our customers,” says managing director Graham Peinke, who points to statistical evidence to illustrate the industry’s lucrative potential. KWV exported two million cases of wine last year. This figure is expected to rise to four million over the next two years. Winecorp will export 750 000 cases of wine over the next year, a figure expected to grow substantially in the year ahead. SACD has also earmarked the beneficiated fruit industry - tinned and canned fruits and jams - as a market of future potential. It’s a logical development for the company whose parent Bidvest owns a major food and distribution service in the UK and has therefore developed the expertise in the field. “A lot of European importers realise that South Africa is the focal point on a global basis for the acquisition of good quality products at reasonable rates,” says Peinke. “Following the boom in wine exports, we anticipate the same for jam, tinned fruits and fruit juices, and are ready to accommodate this growth. “The Western Cape is the fruit basket of the country and we want to make a strong play for those markets.”