RAINBOW VIDEO CAPTURES 20 YEARS OF SA WINE PROGRESS UNDER DEMOCRACY

Afrikaans volg onder.

Wines of South Africa (WOSA) is celebrating 20 years of South African democracy, a record year of wine exports in 2013 and massive strides in quality and sustainability, with a bright and refreshing animated video.

Using the metaphor of the rainbow nation, the term used by Archbishop emeritus Desmond Tutu to describe South Africa's diversity, the 105-second clip links each of the rainbow's colours to an advance in the industry. These range from the growing international acclaim for the country’s top wines to a huge drive to promote fair labour conditions and ongoing leadership in sustainability.

The upbeat video that encapsulates with entertaining simplicity just how far South African wine has come, is being sent to international media, the wine trade, wine and tourism organisations and to South African embassies globally.

In 1993, South Africa exported close to 24.5 million litres of wine. The following year, with the opening of international trade, volumes sold off-shore doubled to almost 50 million litres.  In the two decades since then, exports have risen more than tenfold to 525,7m litres in 2013, reaching around 140 countries.

A trailblazer in environmental sustainability, the country has also managed to set aside more than 130 000 hectares in the Cape Winelands for restoration to indigenous habitat. The combined area devoted to conservation is already significantly more than the national vineyard that measures just over 100 000 hectares.

The focus on eco-friendly production that in 2010 led to the introduction of South Africa's sustainability seal, the world's first industry-wide, fully traceable guarantee of production integrity, is now being extended to include certification for ethical labour practices.

By 2016, the plan is for all the country's exporting producers to be independently certified for following fair labour practices, as well as for subscribing to environmentally sustainable wine-growing and production. This will result in one, combined sustainability seal that guarantees both environmental and social sustainability.

At present, the sustainability and ethical seals are independent of each another.

To view the video, go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NrS86UfUEBI

DATE                         MARCH 18, 2014

ISSUED BY               DKC (DE KOCK COMMUNICATIONS)

ON BEHALF OF        WOSA (WINES OF SOUTH AFRICA)

QUERIES                   SIOBHAN THOMPSON, WOSA CEO, (021) 883 3820 or 082 828 0348

                                    ANDRÉ MORGENTHAL, COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER, WOSA (021) 883 3860 or 082 658 3883

                                    TESSA DE KOCK/MARLISE POTGIETER, DKC (021) 422 2690 or 082 579 2358

REËNBOOGVIDEO BEELD 20 JAAR SE VORDERING IN DIE WYNBEDRYF ONDER DEMOKRASIE UIT

Wines of South Africa (WOSA) vier,  met ’n blink en prettige animasievideo, 20 jaar van demokrasie in Suid-Afrika, ’n rekord-wynuitvoerjaar in 2013, asook yslike vordering ten opsigte van gehalte en volhoubaarheid in die bedryf.

Die metafoor van die reënboognasie – die woord wat emiritus-biskop Desmond Tutu bedink het om Suid-Afrika se uiteenlopendheid te beskryf – word in ’n greep van 105 sekondes ingespan om elk van die kleure van die reënboog met vordering in die bedryf te verbind. Dié wissel van internasionale lof vir die land se beste wyne tot ’n omvangryke poging om billike arbeidspraktyke sook volgehoue baanbrekerswerk ten opsigte van volhoubaarheid te bevorder.

Die vrolike video, wat vermaaklike eenvoud inspan om vas te vang presies hoe ver Suid-Afrika se wyne al gevorder het, word na die internasionale media, die wynhandel, wyn-en-toerismeorganisasies en Suid-Afrikaanse ambassades orals ter wêreld gestuur.

In 1993 het Suid-Afrika net minder as 24,5 miljoen liter uitgevoer. Die volgende jaar, toe die deure van die internasionale handel oopgegaan het, het uitvoervolumes feitlik verdubbel tot byna 50 miljoen liter. Teen 2013, twee dekades later, het uitvoervolumes bykans vertiendubbel tot 525,7 miljoen liter. Suid-Afrikaanse wyne is vandag in 140 lande te kry.

Die land is die baanbreker wat omgewingsvolhoubaarheid betref, en meer as 130 000 hektaar grond in die Kaapse Wynland is reeds vir die herstel van inheems habitat opsy gesit. Die totale gebied wat vir bewaring toegewys is, is reeds aansienlik groter as die nasionale wingerd, wat net meer as 100 000 hektaar beslaan.

Die klem op ekovriendelike produksie het in 2010 op die instelling van Suid-Afrika se volhoubaarheidseël uitgeloop. Dit was die eerste ten volle naspeurbare waarborg van produksie-integriteit ter wêreld. Dit word tans uitgebrei om sertifisering ten opsigte van etiese arbeidspraktyke in te sluit.

Dit is die bedoeling dat al die land se uitvoerprodusente teen 2016 onafhanklik gesertifiseer sal wees wat billike arbeidspraktyke betref, asook ten opsigte van die aanvaarding van omgewingsvolhoubare wingerdverbouing en -produksie. Dit sal mettertyd lei tot een saamgestelde volhoubaarheidseël wat sowel omgewings- as maatskaplike volhoubaarheid waarborg.

Tans staan die volhoubaarheid- en etiese seëls los van mekaar.

Gaan na http://www.youtube.com/watch?p=NrS86UfUEBI om na die video te kyk.

DATUM                                 18 MAART 2014

UITGEREIK DEUR                DKC (DE KOCK KOMMUNIKASIE)

NAMENS                               WOSA (WINES OF SOUTH AFRICA)

NAVRAE                                SIOBHAN THOMPSON, WOSA SE UITVOERENDE HOOF,  (021) 883-3820 of (082) 828-0348

                                               ANDRÉ MORGENTHAL, WOSA SE KOMMUNIKASIEBESTUURDER (021) 883-3860 of (082) 658-3883

                                               TESSA DE KOCK/MARLISE POTGIETER, DKC (021) 422-2690of (082) 579-2358