Symington estimates around 20% of a total of some 220 tons of grape exports overall for a revenue of R1.5 billion to R2 billion, was shipped to the UK the past season (November ’04-May ‘05). “The UK is a well-paying market but supermarket price wars have led to destructive competition. Forgetting for a moment about the still relatively strong rand, of concern to Symington is that the grape industry has yet to discover new markets. Competition has steadily increased from the likes of India, the Argentine and California, with stored grapes making their presence felt at about the time when South Africa has enjoyed a two-week, pre-Christmas selling window in the UK.
