adminJohannesburg. — Already losing R175 million per week in lost exports, alcohol transport ban hits wine producers hard
South Africa’s wine industry is “deeply disappointed and shocked” by a new ban on the transport of alcohol, with some producers forced to cancel export shipments of wine due to be sent to ports, according to industry marketing body Wines of South Africa.
The prohibition of the transport of alcohol, save for hand sanitisers and industrial use, was announced last Thursday by Minister for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma.
For the wine industry it is yet another setback as it struggles to deal with a steep drop in revenue caused by the prohibition of the sale of alcohol for the duration of the nationwide lockdown.
When first announced by Cyril Ramaphosa in late March, the lockdown regulations included a ban on transporting liquor ‘between two points’ thus making the transport of wine to ports for export impossible.
At the time, Rico Basson, managing director of vine producers’ organisation Vinpro, said this regulation contradicted earlier verbal commitments from national departments. — Fin24.
Online Reporter