WOSA WORLD

Kenya Market Impressions

21 June 2013

I have recently returned from a visit to Kenya where I had an eye opening  experience of how much potential there is in that market. My first impression of the country was positive beginning with my arrival at the Jomo Kenyatta International airport, which  I found has very structured and systematic facilities. I spent no more than 30mins going through immigration and customs and collecting  my bag.

The market is abuzz with economic growth and development and so it is for the liquor trade. The Kenyans like to go out and drink, primarily, beer and wine, and Kenya is South Africa’s second largest export market of packed wine on the Continent.  In 2011 South Africa exported 3,8 million litres of wine to Kenya, and  the figure has  2,9 million litres for the first 5 months of 2013, so the growth is significant. Distell has been extremely successful in forming a bridgehead with strong quality brands like Nederburg and J.C. le Roux, and their recent  acquisition of a stake in the government owned Kenya Wines Agency Limited  will make it easier for all our South African producers to sell their wines.

An old Kenyan friend and businessman Humphrey Wattanga  was kind enough to spend time with me and introduced me to several established and sophisticated wine trade places in Nairobi that have  an enormous wine assortment. I met with the Manager of food & beverage Silas Kongo at Sankara Hotel and 80% of their wines are South African and he  is keen to expand his wine list further. Then I visited the Wines of the World Shop & Bar at the Junction Mall, another  establishment with an impressive list of South African wines, where I met their store manager Miriam Nakameli before visiting Nakumatt the biggest supermarket in Kenya . At  Nakumatt I met with the liquor section staff and was allowed to take pictures of the store, packed with spirits, beer and wine.

I also had meetings with the High Commissioner at the South African Embassy and the Country Manager of South African Airways to discuss cooperation in promoting South Africa as WOSA is keen to grow South Africa's market share in Kenya.

Below are pictures of Miriam Nakameli at the Wines of the World shop & bar and  of the wine section at Nakumatt supermarket.

Matome Mbatha June 2013