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South African Sees Wine Exports Soar

4th Dec. '08

South African wine exports are soaring in defiance of the international economic slowdown, says Wines of South Africa, with over 363-million litres sold offshore in the 12 months to July 2008, an increase of 27% on the previous 12 months.

Citing increased export volumes of 31% for the first seven months of 2008, due to a weaker rand and the continued strength of big brands in markets such as the UK, Sweden and Canada, the increase is also due to the emergence of buyers in developing markets such as Angola and south-east Asia. Exports have also been fuelled by rising rosé sales, up 60% on the previous year, as local producers successfully catered to the thirst for pink wines on international markets. In 2003, the UK and the Netherlands accounted for 72% of all South Africa's packaged wine exports.

Today the UK and the Netherlands, together with Sweden, Germany, Denmark and the US, make up 72% of these sales. At the same time, there is growing interest in South African wines from countries in Africa and the East. The UK is still South Africa's largest wine export destination, however, with growth resuming in that market. The shift in the composition of South Africa's biggest customers had seen Germany overtaking the Netherlands to become South Africa's second-largest wine market.

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