South African Wine
The Cape winegrowing areas, situated in the narrow viticultural zone of the southern hemisphere, mainly have a Mediterranean climate and the mountain slopes and valleys form the ideal habitat for the wine grape Vitis vinifera, the products of which have given pleasure to man for many centuries. Long, sun-drenched summers and mild, wet winters contribute to the ideal conditions for viticulture at the Cape.
Liberated by the advent of democracy in 1994, the South African wine industry has gone from strength to strength, with exports reaching 319 million litres in 2020. Currently, more than 2 778 farmers cultivate some 92 005 hectares of land under vines. Some 269 096 people are employed both directly and indirectly in the wine industry. The annual harvest in 2019 amounted to 1 247 522 tons (973.6 million litres), of which 86% was used for wine. The annual harvest in 2020 amounted to 1 342 109 tons (1 042.0 million litres), of which 86% was used for wine.