Wine industry: Ban lifted a little too late

Businesses across South Africa are relieved that after five months President Cyril Ramaphosa has announced a more appealing easing of the Covid-19-induced lockdown regulations – but for many the move has come too late.

Theo de Jager, chair of the Southern African Agri Initiative (Saai) board of directors, says there has already been a bloodbath of jobs in the wine industry, with production for 2020 and 2021 also severely affected by the lockdown regulations.

“Overflowing cellars have no storage capacity in tanks and barrels, and have already notified producers that they are unable to allocate 2021 quotas,” he says.

“A farm cannot be closed down for a year, and very few family farmers are able to survive two consecutive years’ loss of income or turnover.”

The call for job creation …

De Jager says it is “very strange indeed” for government to be calling for new job opportunities to be created while farmers and rural businesses are struggling to retain existing manpower – especially following cries of distress addressed to the government since May to give businesses that have been “choked to death” some breathing space.

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