OVERVIEW Grapes and wine
OVERVIEW Grapes and wine Growth in exports to the US might be stymied. The increases in the number of cartons of table grapes exported by South Africa to the US may have been brought to a grinding halt by President Donald Trump. Although the bulk of South African table-grape exports find their way to the EU (about 55%) and the UK (20%) there were hopes that North America was going to become a more fruitful destination. The same was true for raisins and for wine, all staple products of the Northern Cape. South Africa is one of the world’s top exporters of grapes and raisins. In table grapes only Chile and Peru rank higher in terms of volumes. The 2023/24 season saw a 17% increase in South Africa's table grape exports compared with the season before, with 73.5-million cartons exported. The South African Table Grape Industry (SATI), the body representing producers, noted in April 2025 that the previous five seasons had seen a 28% growth of fresh grape exports to the US. In response to the projected levying of tariffs on South Africa, SATI said, “It would profoundly impact the South African table grape industry and disrupt its export flow. This also presents risks for jobs in various farming communities in South Africa.” There was some good news for the industry a month earlier. In March 2025 it was announced that South African table grapes were granted market access to the Philippines. SATI, the national Department of Agriculture and the Department of International Relations and Cooperation have been working for some time on gaining access to new markets, particularly in the East. Dippenaar Choice Fruit, an Orange River region grape producer which is headquarted in Kakamas, exports to seven countries in South-East Asia and the Far East, including China and Singapore. Exports of South African grapes and wine to China have been on an upward trend for several years but South Africa’s wine exports are still subject to tariffs on entering China, despite both countries being members of BRICS. The region has 5 688ha of vines and the Orange River Producer Alliance represents its farmers. According to SATI, the grape industry in the Northern Cape employs 1 215 people permanently, with a further 12 415 people finding seasonal work. Harvesting happens from early November to early February. Almost a third of South Africa’s table grape crop is produced in this fertile region. The South African table grape industry has been investing Tasting wine near the Orange River is a special experience. SECTOR INSIGHT A new market has opened in the Philippines. in hardier varietals which produce a better yield. The Northern Cape has just 3% of South Africa’s vineyards but 18% of the nation’s white wine grapes are cultivated along the Orange River. Within the region, about 64% of grapes are white seedless and about 21% are red seedless (SATI). The Orange River wine region accounts for 25.6% of South Africa’s Colombard vines and 10% of Chenin Blanc. The focus is on Colombard and Hanepoot grapes. Orange River Cellars (ORC) is the region’s biggest producer, sourcing NORTHERN CAPE BUSINESS 2025/26 30 PHOTO: ORC
OVERVIEW its grapes from what is known as the Green Kalahari. The variety of soil from which ORC wines is drawn is extremely varied, allowing for the production of a wide selection of wines and brandies. The company has expanded significantly over the years and now encompasses logistics to deliver its wines (Orange River Tankers), an export division (Norweco) and Prosperitas Farm which produces export-quality raisins that include sultanas and several varieties of raisins. The Douglas Wine Cellar produces about 6 000 cases per year. Together with the Landzicht cellar (in the Free State), Douglas Wine Cellars is a GWK company. The Douglas cellar crushes 7 000 tons of grapes every year and produces 5.6-million litres of wine. Hartswater Wine Testing raisins in the dry lane. Cellar is a part of the region’s other big agricultural company, Senwes. Two wine brands (Overvaal and Elements) are produced in the Hartswater irrigation area north of Kimberley. Vinpro represents 2 500 South African wine grape producers, wineries and winerelated businesses. Raisins About a quarter of raisins exported by South Africa go to Germany, and in the 2022/23 season, extra attention was paid to that market in terms of the quality of fruit, with the aim being to produce fruit with few residues. Industry body Raisins SA is leading efforts to improve farming practices with a view to improved products. Specific areas of focus include improved soil preparation, drying infrastructure and trellis systems and using water more efficiently. The recent adoption of SA- GAP (derived from the Global Good Agricultural Practices) is helping ONLINE RESOURCES SA Wine Industry Information & Systems: www.sawis.co.za South African Table Grape Industry: www.satgi.co.za Vine Academy and Model Farm: www.vamf.co.za to raise and maintain standards within the sector. With certification, small growers and producers are more easily able to have to access to international markets. The Vine Academy and Model Farm officially opened in Kakamas in 2023, providing a significant boost for viticulture education and training in the Northern Cape. Kakamas is an appropriate setting for an educational institution of this sort as it was the ingenuity of early farmers in the Kakamas area who, through a sophisticated system of canals that drew water from the Orange River, ultimately created a thriving table grape export sector around the town. Raisins, dried fruit of many sorts, peaches, oranges and dates are also farmed and exported from the area to this day. ■ PHOTO: Raisins SA 31 NORTHERN CAPE BUSINESS 2025/26
