The recent drought in the Western Cape has seen wine cellars and traders in the area importing more than 40 million litres of wine during South Africa’s 2018/2019 and 2019/2020 seasons to compensate for local shortfalls, according to the South African Wine Industry Information and Systems (Sawis).
Under normal conditions, South Africa’s wine imports are low at around 15 million litres of must and concentrate for the sweetening of wine.
Executive manager of Sawis, Yvette van der Merwe, said that imports were largely from Spain and Argentina. “Imports are expected to subside after May, following the local wine grape harvest.”
The Department of Water and Sanitation has reported that recent rains across South Africa have allowed several areas to recover from the drought. – Zoë van Rooyen