How world sees SA: Covid-19 booze rules have shattered wine industry, wiped out many

For South Africa’s wine industry, the ban is likely to have a long-term impact, not just on bottom lines but also on the wine itself.
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SA's wine industry is in global headlines because it has been shattered by the Covid-19 booze ban. South Africa's wine industry is in deep crisis, the Wall Street Journal reports. Wines of South Africa, an industry organisation that promotes the nation's wines in international markets, tells the publication that the industry has lost in excess of R7bn in revenue and roughly 21,000 jobs. Further underscoring the scale of the crisis, VinPro – which represents wine producers, cellars and stakeholders – says more than 80 wineries and 350 wine-grape producers are likely to to go out of business. "We're hanging on by our fingernails," Alastair Rimmer, head winemaker at Kleine Zalze Wines, Stellenbosch, is quoted as saying. The Wall Street Journal points out that it isn't just winemakers that are hurting. Anheuser-Busch InBev NV's South African Breweries cut salaries by 10% across the board to avoid eliminating jobs. – Jackie Cameron

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