- Wine tourism is regarded as a crucial sector for the local industry, creating revenue and jobs.
- Before the pandemic, wine tourism accounted for 15% of local wineries' total turnover.
- It was heavily impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic and related lockdowns, but is on a recovery path.
After plummeting to R2.7 billion in 2020 due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and related lockdowns, wine tourism in South Africa contributed R4.1 billion to the country's gross domestic product (GDP) in 2021 and is expected to reach R5.7 billion by the end of 2022.
This is according to the recently released annual SA Wine Harvest Report.
"We are grateful that wine tourism – a crucial sector for our industry in terms of creating jobs, earning revenue and building Brand South Africa abroad – is showing steady growth," says Siobhan Thompson, CEO of Wines of South Africa, which promotes the exports of all South African wine internationally.
Data shows that in 2019, therefore before the pandemic, wine tourism accounted for 15% of local wineries' total turnover.
"We're inching our way back from complete loss of the international tourism market during Covid-19 - a third of our visitors and revenue," comments Marisah Nieuwoudt, wine tourism manager at wine producers' body Vinpro.
"Although international visitor figures remain low, especially for mid-week travel, there is a positive energy among wine tourism destinations. We're seeing new hiring, product launches and events."
Wineries are focusing on quality, maintaining competitiveness and building capacity.
To help wine farms and businesses, Vinpro has created a wine tourism toolkit for developing a suitable strategy and training, as well as a visitor survey to generate crucial market intelligence.
According to the SA Wine Harvest report, the 2022 harvest is expected to deliver great quality wines. A cool season and moderate weather conditions in most regions during the harvest slowed down ripening, which gave vines the opportunity to develop "stunning flavour and colour", according to Conrad Schutte, consultation service manager of Vinpro.
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