Vinpro, the representative body for the South African wine industry, strongly condemns opportunism and exploitation of individuals, farms and communities for political gain in the run-up to the 2019 national elections, as well as biased reporting in the media.

Recent depictions in the media of the South African wine industry as being rife with injustices are indeed disappointing.

“The opportunism, exploitation and sensationalism of the events result in irreparable damage in relationships between stakeholders, as well as to the reputation of the South African wine industry to the detriment of the entire value-chain,” says Vinpro managing director Rico Basson.

He calls on the media to be responsible, accurate and unbiased in their reporting, taking all facts and perspectives of the parties involved into account. This together with compliance with the law is non-negotiable in any actions taken.

“Our industry has made significant economic and social progress since joining global markets 25 years ago, and has committed itself to achieving transformation and social development targets. There’s still a long road ahead, but this is a journey that the industry and its stakeholders have embraced and will continue to take forward,” says Basson.

The South African wine industry is dedicated to affecting positive social change, which include:

• Constructive engagement between government (local, provincial and national), industry, labour unions and civil society on various multi-stakeholder forums;
• Non-negotiable transformational and social development targets for the 290 000 people employed in the SA wine industry;
• Enterprise development of various black businesses and initiatives towards harm reduction and social upliftment;
• Land reform.

“We strive towards a profitable and sustainable wine industry for all South Africans involved, and are therefore committed to transparency, constructive dialogue and collaboration between all partners in the process. We invite engagement on any of the above subjects to ensure honest and accurate reporting on any matters pertaining to the South African wine industry,” says Basson.

Issued by: Vinpro
Media enquiries:
Wanda Augustyn
Vinpro Communications Manager
Tel: 021 276 0463
E-mail: wanda@wineland.co.za