Statistics

For all relevant SA wine industry statistics, go to www.sawis.co.za.

• Currently 87 848 hectares of vines producing wine grapes are under cultivation in South Africa over an area some 800 kilometres in length. White varieties constitute 55% of the plantings for wine, with Chenin Blanc comprising 18.4% of the total. Red-wine varieties account for 45% of the national vineyard. The most widely planted red variety is Cabernet Sauvignon, representing 10.4% of the total. Shiraz accounts for 10.0%, while Pinotage, which is indigenous to South Africa, represents 7.5% and Merlot 5.9%. The local wine industry continues to re-align its vineyard offering in line with international trends.
• According to a study, commissioned by the SA Wine Industry Information & Systems (SAWIS) and published in January 2022, 270 363 people were employed both directly and indirectly in the wine industry in 2019, including farm labourers, those involved in packaging, retailing and wine tourism. The study also concluded that of the R56.5 billion contributed by the wine industry to the national GDP, about R31 billion would remain in the Western Cape to the benefit of its residents. Access the full report, Macroeconomic Impact of the Wine Industry on the South African Economy, here and see the infographic here
• In terms of world wine production, South Africa ranks as seventh in overall volume production of wine and produces 3.9% of the world's wine (2023).
• Of the country's total annual harvest of 933.8 million litres in 2023, 83.9% was devoted to the making of wine, 4.2% to wine for brandy, 12.5% to distilling wine and 0.3% to grape juice concentrate and grape juice.
• Exports of still (ie non-fortified) packaged wines for the 2023 calendar year reached 113 million litres, a decrease of 17.3% on the previous year. Total still red wine exports decreased by 9.4% to account for 32.3% of all natural wines exported.
• While volumes declined by 17%, resulting in total export volumes of 306 million litres, the silver lining for the South African wine industry was a positive value growth of total wine exports to a respectable US$540 million (R10 billion), despite a challenging global economy. 

South African Wine Industry Statistics
View South African industry statistics

SAWIS Statistics
Download SAWIS' annual publication

SAWIS Status of Wine-grape Vines
Infographic as on 31 December 2023

South African Export Report 2022
Infographic by SAWIS

South African Wine Industry Overview 2023
Infographic by South Africa Wine

SA Wine Industry Economic Value Footprint 2023
Infographic by South Africa Wine