South Africa’s wine industry is navigating a turbulent global trading environment with a clear shift toward resilience over scale. Wine exports totalled 264 million litres this year, generating R9.8 billion in export revenue.
While this reflects a 13.8% decline in export volumes and a 2.4% year-on-year dip in value, the figures also highlight how a value-driven strategy is helping cushion the sector against softer international demand.
Export performance varied sharply across product categories. Packaged wine proved more robust, with volumes declining by 4.6% year-on-year while export value remained stable. Bulk wine exports faced steeper pressure as global oversupply, weakening consumption, and trade disruptions reduced demand in traditional markets.
Shipments to destinations such as the UK, Germany, and Belgium declined, although volumes to Spain and emerging African markets including Nigeria and Zimbabwe increased, signalling shifting trade patterns.
Encouragingly, bulk wine pricing strengthened during the period. Dollar-per-litre values rose across both white and red cultivars, pointing to improvements in quality and sustained competitiveness despite volatile market conditions. This pricing support helped limit the impact of declining volumes on overall export earnings.
The UK remained South Africa’s largest and most influential export market. Although export volumes fell by 7%, export value increased by 4%, reinforcing the importance of premium positioning and brand recognition. Additional value growth was recorded in other priority markets, with Canada achieving a 3% increase and Sweden posting growth of 1%.
“South Africa’s export performance must be viewed in the context of a challenging global environment marked by declining wine consumption, economic pressure and rising trade barriers,” posits industry body Wines of South Africa (WoSA) CEO Siobhan Thompson.
“Against this backdrop, our long-term strategy of prioritising value over volume and focusing on key markets is proving resilient. While volumes in some developed markets softened, we saw encouraging value growth in core markets for packaged wine such as the UK, Canada and Sweden, alongside strong momentum across Africa and parts of Asia.”
Trade policy developments are adding further complexity. The introduction of a 30% tariff on South African wine by the US government in August 2025 is expected to influence export outcomes more fully as updated trade data becomes available later in the year.
WoSA notes that exporters implemented short- to medium-term mitigation measures, working closely with US partners to maintain listings and market presence.
Despite these efforts, exports to the US declined sharply in 2025, with packaged wine volumes falling by 21% and dollar value decreasing by 23%, highlighting the sensitivity of wine trade to policy shifts.
Africa, however, continues to emerge as a bright spot. The continent now accounts for more than 10% of South Africa’s total wine export value. Packaged wine exports to African markets recorded value growth of 14%, driven by strong performances in Kenya, Zambia, and Uganda.
This growing regional demand is reinforcing Africa’s role as a strategic growth market and an increasingly important counterbalance to slower growth in traditional destinations.