Farming

SA’s winemakers send out global SOS as third booze ban bites

31 January 2021 - 00:00 By nivashni nair
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Winemaker Samantha Suddons holds up empty wine glasses as a symbol of the struggles of local winemakers amid Covid-related alcohol restrictions.
Winemaker Samantha Suddons holds up empty wine glasses as a symbol of the struggles of local winemakers amid Covid-related alcohol restrictions.
Image: Esa Alexander

For five years winemaker Samantha Suddons worked on developing her own wine label but exactly a month after launching VineVenom, the government imposed a ban on alcohol to alleviate the pressure on hospital trauma units as the second wave of Covid-19 gained momentum.

Now Suddons and the rest of the wine industry, which is sitting on 640-million litres of wine in stock, are on their knees begging international customers to buy their labels.

While Vinpro, a nonprofit body representing South African wine producers, heads to court on Friday for an order to give Western Cape premier Alan Winde permission to adopt deviations to enable the off- and on-site-consumption sale of liquor in the Western Cape, winemakers are relying on the #EmptyGlassSA and #SaveSAWine social media campaigns to make the world take notice of the industry’s plight.

“I posted a photograph of an empty glass on social media with the hashtag in order to help raise awareness about the third alcohol ban in SA for consumers of South African wines around the world,” says Suddons.

“Many consumers were completely unaware of the alcohol ban and the symbol of an empty glass signifies what will happen if the alcohol ban continues, as many wineries and farmers will fold.

“It saddens me that a South African wine is unable to be consumed by South Africans and I currently have to rely on international support to sell my wine and make a living.”

Erica Taylor of SaveSAWine says the response from the international market has been “excellent” but Wines of SA spokesperson Maryna Calow says the call to international consumers, retailers, agents and importers cannot save all in the industry.

 “Unfortunately, the benefit of these campaigns was mainly seen by those producers who already had export channels,” she says.

Vinpro managing director Rico Basson says Vinpro was left with no choice but to approach the Western Cape High Court.

“Vinpro is not saying a liquor ban may not be justified when hospitals, and particularly trauma units, are under pressure,” he says.

“However, we believe ... the government has used and maintained nationwide bans which are over-broad, unnecessary, unjustified and, indeed, counterproductive.” 


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