Wines Of South Africa

What Wines Of South Africa does

Wines of South Africa (WoSA) is a not-for-profit industry organisation established in 1999 and headquartered in Stellenbosch, Western Cape. It is the recognised Export Council for South African wine and is funded by a statutory per-litre levy on all natural and sparkling wines exported from the country. WoSA is independent of both government and any individual producer or wholesaler, and represents over 500 South African wine exporters on its database — effectively the entire major-export base of an industry that produced 1,127,280 tons of grapes from 86,525 hectares in 2025, exported 264 million litres, and held a 4.5% share of global wine production (seventh-largest globally).

WoSA's core mandate is generic export promotion. It delivers this through a portfolio of products and services including: staffed international offices in London, New York, Hong Kong, and Johannesburg; contracted agency representation in Toronto, Stockholm, and Baden-Baden; the triennial CapeWine trade exhibition (next edition 2028); free Online Wine Courses at Levels 1 and 2 developed with Cathy Marston; the Wine Soundtrack podcast series featuring South African winemakers; and a content library of marketing collateral, photo libraries, winelands maps, and brochures. It coordinates participation at ProWein and Vinexpo, runs retail promotions in target markets, hosts journalist and buyer visits to the Cape winelands, and operates an importer database and export enquiry service for members.

The organisation is also the steward of the Sustainable Wine South Africa (SWSA) Seal — a world-first sustainability and traceability certification that traces wine from vine to bottle — delivered through the SWSA Alliance with the Wine and Spirit Board, IPW, and WWF-SA Conservation Champion programme. WoSA's partnership network extends to WIETA (ethical trade), South African Tourism (wine tourism), and La Cité du Vin in Bordeaux. Strategic priorities include established markets (UK, Germany, Netherlands, Sweden, Canada) and focus growth markets (USA, China, and Africa — specifically Kenya, Uganda, Nigeria, Ghana). Leadership comprises CEO Siobhan Thompson (appointed November 2013) and non-executive chairperson Wahed Khan (appointed September 2023).

Name

Wines Of South Africa

Legal name

Wines of South Africa

Website

https://wosa.co.za

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Wines of South Africa (WoSA) is a not-for-profit, industry-owned Export Council funded by a statutory per-litre levy on South African wine exports. It promotes over 500 producer members internationally through offices in London, New York, Hong Kong, and Johannesburg, the triennial CapeWine exhibition, and the SWSA sustainability seal.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wine Industry Export Promotion Services

NAICS

Wineries (312130), Wineries (31213)

SIC

Beverages (2080)

akta.pro primary industry

Wine Production & Winemaking (AFAFAAAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Beverage Import/Export & Cross-Border Wholesale (AFAIAGAL), Wine & Sparkling Wine Wineries & Brands (CRADAIAB)

Keywords

• Wine export promotion
• Wine industry association
• Wine trade marketing
• South African wine exports
• Wine education courses

Headquarters

HQ city

Stellenbosch

HQ country

South Africa

HQ region

Africa

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Statutory Export Levy: WoSA is funded by a statutory levy per litre on all natural and sparkling wines exported from South Africa. It is a not-for-profit company owned by the industry, not government.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Wines Of South Africa (WoSA) is a not-for-profit industry organization founded in 1999 that promotes South African wine exports in international markets through trade representation, marketing campaigns, educational programs, and market development activities. Funded by a statutory export levy per litre on wines exported, WoSA serves over 500 wine producers on its database and maintains full-time offices in Stellenbosch, London, New York, Hong Kong, and Johannesburg.

Product overview

Wines Of South Africa (WoSA) is a not-for-profit industry organisation representing South African wine producers who export their products. Founded in its current form in 1999 and funded by statutory levies on wine exports, WoSA operates international offices in London, New York, Hong Kong, and Africa. The organisation's portfolio consists of export promotion services as its core mandate, supported by educational products (Online Wine Courses Level 1 and 2 developed with Cathy Marston), the triennial CapeWine trade exhibition, Wine Soundtrack podcasts featuring winemaker interviews, and wine tourism marketing resources including maps, photo libraries, and promotional materials. WoSA maintains a member database of over 500 South African wine producers and facilitates participation in major international wine shows including ProWein and Vinexpo.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Online Wine Course Level 1 Foundational online wine education course targeting trade professionals and consumers seeking introductory knowledge of South African wines.
• Online Wine Course Level 2 Intermediate-level online wine course that builds on Level 1, providing deeper coverage of South African wine regions, varieties, and trade knowledge.
• CapeWine Trade Exhibition Flagship biennial international wine trade exhibition organized in South Africa connecting Cape wine producers with global importers, agents, and trade buyers.
• Wine Soundtrack Podcasts Audio podcast series profiling South African wines, producers, and regions for international trade audiences and consumers.
• Export Promotion Services Core service offering encompassing international market representation, trade show participation at events like ProWein and Vinexpo, importer engagement, and media relations to grow demand for South African wines abroad.
• Wine Tourism Resources Travel, restaurant, and wine experience resources developed in partnership with global cultural and tourism bodies to position South Africa as a wine tourism destination.

Quantifiable outcome

• Wine exports reached 264 million litres in 2025
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Pitch PR (Netherlands)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPR and marketing representation in the Netherlands. Contact: Harriet Boekholt and Robert Verhoeven at Pitch PR, Amsterdam.
• Propeller Communications (Canada)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPR representation in Canada through Propeller Communications, Toronto. Contact: Laurel Keenan.
• Maja Berthas (Sweden)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPR and marketing representation in Sweden. Contact: Maja Berthas, Stockholm.
• South African TourismcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration to advance Cape wine tourism through coordinated tourism promotion and marketing initiatives.
• Integrated Production of Wine (IPW)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustry sustainability scheme focused on sustainable farming practices at every stage of production, from environmental impact studies to recyclable packaging.
• Sustainable Wine South Africa (SWSA) AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAlliance between Wine and Spirit Board (WSB), IPW, WWF-SA Conservation Champion programme and WoSA driving sustainable, eco-friendly production and the sustainability seal initiative.
• WIETA (Wine and Agricultural Industry Ethical Trade Association)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPromoting ethical trade and social sustainability in the South African wine industry.
• WWF-SA Conservation Champion ProgrammecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBiodiversity conservation initiative recognizing wine producers who protect natural habitats and implement conservation practices on their farms.
• La Cité du Vin (Bordeaux)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for wine tourism promotion, featuring South African wine displays and tastings at the wine museum in Bordeaux.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Deutsches Weininstitut (Wines of Germany): Germany's wine marketing body funded by an industry levy via the German Wine Fund. Operates international promotion campaigns and represents a major competing wine-producing country.
• Wine Australia: Australian generic wine export promotion body. Direct functional comparator — statutory levy-funded, runs generic international promotion campaigns, organizes trade shows (e.g., ProWein presence) and represents winemakers abroad.
• Oregon Wine Board: US state-level wine promotion and research body funded by industry assessments. Similar mandate (research, marketing, education) for a single-origin wine region, with smaller scale than WoSA.
• Wines of Chile: Chilean wine export promotion organization with similar mandate to promote Chilean wine abroad. Competes with WoSA for the same shelf space in the US, UK, and Asia.
• Comité Champagne (Champagne Bureau): Generic trade body for Champagne, France. The benchmark for industry-funded wine promotion with a global office network, education programs, and brand stewardship — a model WoSA benchmarks against.
• Conselho Provincial de la Denominación de Origen Rioja: Generic body for the Rioja region in Spain. Comparable in that it pools producer levies to fund international marketing, education, and brand-building for a region's wines.
• New Zealand Winegrowers: National industry body for New Zealand wine. Levy-funded, runs international promotion for Sauvignon Blanc and other varietals, similar small-team lean operation globally.
• Wines of Argentina: Argentine wine generic body promoting Malbec and other varietals internationally. Same Southern Hemisphere-exporting model, same statutory/industry funding, same target markets.
• Prosecco DOC Consortium: Italian sparkling wine consortium that manages collective promotion and brand protection for Prosecco producers. Comparable collective-promotion structure targeting global markets.

Broad incumbents

• Wine Institute of California: Long-standing US trade association representing California wineries. Operates international promotion of California wines and similarly deals with sustainability, trade policy, and education — comparable in scope but much larger scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights8 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/wosa_za
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wines-of-south-africa-limited

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

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 Wines Of South Africa