Under The Influence

What Under The Influence does

Under The Influence is a privately held B2B beverage distribution and technology company founded in 2008 and headquartered in Stellenbosch, South Africa. It sources over 500 wine and spirits brands directly from South African and international producers and ships them to hospitality customers across 25 African countries, operating regional offices in Lusaka (Zambia) and Nairobi (Kenya) and a consolidated warehouse in Macassar, Somerset West. The company eliminates intermediate distributors through direct sourcing and consolidated logistics, with weekly dispatches to Southern Africa and monthly dispatches to East and West Africa, supplemented by an air freight network for high-value "just in time" orders.

The company's core technology asset is the proprietary Beverageintelligence platform, built over 10 years and tailored to the African drinks trade. It bundles list management, an Order Guide algorithm that benchmarks seasonality and varietal popularity, a Marketplace module, list performance analytics, and the Fundi AI Assistant for food/wine pairing, hosting tips, and storytelling. Beverageintelligence University delivers a three-level e-learning curriculum (Wine101, Bar101, Art of Storytelling, Cape Wine Advisor, Culture Code) supported by live training, with 35,000+ learners trained historically across 26 countries and 600+ properties. The platform is used directly in 400+ properties across 20 countries and is also licensed to a network of importer partners in 10 African countries.

Revenue is generated through a mix of beverage distribution (transaction-based), training services, platform subscriptions, and the Frequent Sipping loyalty program. Pricing is bespoke and undisclosed, structured as multi-year contracts. Go-to-market combines direct enterprise field sales targeting luxury safari lodges, hotels, resorts, and fine dining, with a channel partner program for local drinks importers in countries where direct distribution is not economical. Key customers include Wilderness Safaris, andBeyond, African Bush Camps, North Island (Seychelles), and Hilton Hotels under the 2024 Wild Spirit Wines of Africa program with WWF. The company is founder-led, with no disclosed external funding.

Name

Under The Influence

Legal name

Under the Influence

Website

https://undertheinfluence.co.za

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Under The Influence is a South Africa-based B2B beverage distributor and training platform serving hospitality businesses (hotels, safari lodges, restaurants) across 25 African countries, combining direct wine and spirits distribution with the proprietary Beverageintelligence SaaS platform for list management, ordering, AI-powered pairing, and staff education.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Beverage Distribution and Hospitality Services

NAICS

Wine and Distilled Alcoholic Beverage Merchant Wholesalers (42482)

SIC

Wholesale-Beer, Wine & Distilled Alcoholic Beverages (5180)

akta.pro primary industry

Fine Wine & Luxury Spirits Retail (CRANABAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Wine Tastings & Vineyard/Winery Tours (THAJAGAD)

Keywords

• Beverage distribution
• Wine and spirits
• Hospitality beverage programs
• Beverage training
• List management software

Headquarters

HQ city

Albuquerque

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Beverage Distribution: Sources over 500 wine and spirits brands directly from South African and international producers, shipping directly to customers across Africa. Eliminates middlemen to maximize value for customers.
2. BeverageIntelligence Training Services: Provides training programs including classroom, coaching, and e-learning modules. Customers get complimentary access to courses tailored to their beverage list as part of the service offering.
3. Rewards Program (Frequent Sipping): Frequent sipping program rewards customers with additional training and Beverageintelligence services based on purchases and drinks offering engagement.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Under The Influence directly sources over 500 wine and spirits brands from independent South African and international producers and distributes them to hospitality businesses (hotels, safari lodges, camps, restaurants) across 25 African countries, eliminating traditional middlemen. Alongside physical distribution, it sells the proprietary BeverageIntelligence platform — covering list management, ordering, performance analytics, and the Fundi AI assistant — and runs BeverageIntelligence University, a tiered e-learning and live-training program (Wine101, Bar101, Art of Storytelling, Cape Wine Advisor) that has trained more than 35,000 hospitality staff.

Product overview

Under The Influence offers a beverage distribution business in Africa with a proprietary technology platform called BeverageIntelligence. The core offering consists of the BeverageIntelligence Platform for list management and ordering, the BeverageIntelligence University for e-learning, Fundi AI Assistant for food and wine pairing recommendations, and live training modules including the Cape Wine Advisor course. The company distributes over 500 wine and spirit brands sourced directly from South African and international producers to customers across 25 African countries. The system is designed to maximize beverage returns and guest experience through integrated ordering, performance monitoring, and staff education tools.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• BeverageIntelligence: Proprietary beverage list management and training platform that enables customers to maximise beverage returns and guest experiences through online ordering, training modules, and list performance monitoring.

Products and services

• Beverage Distribution Services Direct sourcing and distribution of 500+ wine and spirits brands from South African and international producers to hotels, safari lodges, camps, and restaurants across 25 African countries. Eliminates multiple middlemen and ships consolidated orders on weekly dispatches to Southern Africa and monthly dispatches to East and West Africa, with air freight for high-value items.
• BeverageIntelligence Platform Proprietary SaaS-style platform for hospitality customers to manage beverage lists, place and forecast orders using the Order Guide algorithm, monitor list performance, access a marketplace for deals and alternative products, and use the Fundi AI assistant for menu augmentation. Used by 400+ properties across 20 countries.
• BeverageIntelligence University E-learning platform delivering a three-level learning journey from junior waiter/bartender to junior sommelier through structured courses such as Wine101, Bar101, Art of Storytelling, Spirits, and Cape Wine Advisor. Has trained more than 35,000 hospitality learners across 26 African countries.
• Live Training and Coaching Services Face-to-face and on-site wine, bar, and service training delivered by dedicated trainers, plus tailored Fundi coach programs for individual properties, supported by bursaries for hospitality staff and an annual education roadshow visiting 15-17 African countries.
• Cape Wine Advisor Course Five-day intensive live training course throughout the Cape Winelands that immerses top-performing learners in regional wine production, growing beverage and brand knowledge and brand communication skills for use on-property.
• Wild Spirit Wines of Africa Program (with Hilton) Co-developed curated beverage program for Hilton Hotels that pairs 50 conservation-aligned South African wine and spirit farms with properties across Africa and the Indian Ocean, including supply, training, and sustainability storytelling.
• Africa Partner Program Channel offering that gives local drinks importers in 10 African countries access to the BeverageIntelligence platform, the Under The Influence producer portfolio, education and training tools, and consolidation and logistics services in exchange for serving in-country hospitality demand.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 35,000 beverage learners trained across 26 countries
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability6 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• Hilton HotelsflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 September 2024Wild Spirit Wines of Africa program - Hilton's Beverage Conservation initiative in collaboration with WWF and Under the Influence. Covers 11 Hilton hotels across Africa and Indian Ocean. Features 50 champion wine and spirit farms including Bosman, Klein Constantia, Paul Cluver. Under the Influence supplies products and training for the program aligned with Hilton's 'Big Five' commitment to sustainable travel.
• World Wildlife Fund (WWF)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 September 2024Partnership with WWF for the Wild Spirit Wines of Africa program. Selected wine farms are members of WWF Conservation Championship Programme. WWF provides oversight on sustainable and regenerative farming practices, environmental conservation, and water catchment protection.
• Africa Partner NetworkcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNetwork of drinks importers in 10 African countries (starting with Nigeria and Rwanda, expanded to 8 others) using Beverageintelligence Partner program. Partners get education tools, portfolio access, consolidation logistics, and platform access.
• Wines and WingsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartner in Malawi who collaborated on Wild About Wine Tour Zambia event, connecting South African wine brands with Zambian market.
• Lilayi LodgeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerZambian lodge partner for wine tasting events and BevX experience events. Provided venue, marketing, design, catering for beverage trade shows.
• Bosman Family VineyardscoreTechnology or IntegrationFeatured supplier for Wild Spirit Wines of Africa program. Known for social upliftment - 2% of Bosman wine sales go to Bosman Adama Community Projects.
• Klein Constantia EstatecoreTechnology or IntegrationFeatured supplier for Wild Spirit Wines of Africa program. Known for sustainable viticultural practices powered by solar energy and extensive soil erosion plans.
• Paul Cluver EstatecoreTechnology or IntegrationFeatured supplier with strong conservation focus. Projects with Cape Nature protecting conservation areas and corridors. Soil programs to sustain ancient soils.
• Cederberg WinescoreTechnology or IntegrationFeatured supplier for Wild Spirit Wines of Africa program, championing sustainable and regenerative farming practices.
• Cape Winelands Educational InstitutionsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducation roadshow visiting 17 countries in Africa (Q1 2026) with classroom training, coaching and e-learning. Bursaries available for hospitality staff.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Southern Glazer's Wine & Spirits: Largest North American wine and spirits distributor with extensive supplier relationships, logistics infrastructure, and on-premise hospitality focus. Comparable as a broad incumbent in beverage distribution to hospitality, illustrating the scale and capabilities a global distributor could bring into Africa.
• DGB (Douglas Green Bellingham): Leading South African wine and spirits company with broad portfolio across premium and mainstream brands and distribution across Africa. Comparable as a regional incumbent in South African wine/spirits distribution that overlaps with several of the same producers Under The Influence curates.
• KWV: Iconic South African wine and spirits producer and distributor with deep Africa-wide footprint. Comparable as a major wine/spirits counterpart in the same Southern African market, though KWV's primary model is production plus distribution rather than curation-plus-tech-services.
• Heineken Beverages (formerly Distell): Largest South African producer and distributor of wines, spirits, and ciders, now part of Heineken. Overlaps with Under The Influence as a major wine/spirits supplier and distributor in South Africa, though it operates at much larger scale and as a producer rather than a pure distribution/services intermediary.

Emerging players

• Wine Folly: Wine education media brand and education content provider for consumers and trade. Comparable emerging player in the wine education/content space that overlaps with Under The Influence's Beverageintelligence University and storytelling/training content.
• Vivino: Global wine marketplace and discovery app with a large consumer community and growing B2B/data services for restaurants and retailers. Comparable emerging overlap in the digital wine/data/AI layer that Under The Influence is building with Fundi and BeverageIntelligence.

Direct peers

• Provi: B2B beverage alcohol ordering platform serving bars, restaurants, and retailers with digital catalog, ordering, and account management tools. Comparable in product (vertical B2B ordering platform for hospitality) and target customer (on-premise beverage buyers).
• SevenFifty: B2B online marketplace and technology platform for the beverage alcohol industry connecting producers, importers, distributors, and on-premise buyers. Closely comparable tech approach to BeverageIntelligence: vertical SaaS/marketplace layer on top of B2B beverage commerce with tools for ordering, list management, and analytics.
• Typsy: Global hospitality e-learning platform offering video-based training courses for hotel, bar, and restaurant staff. Directly comparable as the closest peer to Under The Influence's Beverageintelligence University and live training business, with overlapping customer base in hospitality professionals worldwide.

Regional players

• Bidcorp Africa: Large multinational food and beverage distribution group with extensive African foodservice operations supplying hotels, restaurants, and caterers. Comparable as a regional B2B distributor serving African hospitality customers, though broader in food than wine/spirits alone.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/underinfluence
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCmdtWs9NR3toyLWoDWQgn_Q
• Facebookfacebook.com/undertheinfluenceafrica
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/under-the-influence
• Instagraminstagram.com/undertheinfluenceafrica

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Under The Influence