Export Market Guide - South Africa

All regulatory information for exporting wine goods to South Africa, including the regulatory environment, duties and taxes, and permitted additives.

South Africa shares borders with Namibia in the northwest, Botswana and Zimbabwe in the north, Mozambique in the northeast and Swaziland in the east. South Africa is Australia’s largest trading partner in Africa and bilateral relations are strong. South Africa is a middle-income, emerging market with an abundant supply of natural resources. Mining is the centre of South Africa’s economy. 

South Africa is part of the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC). South Africa has entered into Free Trade Agreements with the EU, EFTA and MERCOSUR which will see a gradual reduction in tariffs to zero. In comparison, Australian wines entering South Africa attract a 25 per cent tariff. 

South Africa and Australia are members of the World Wine Trade Group. South Africa has not yet signed either of the agreements formed by the group (Agreement on Oenological Practices and the Agreement on Labelling). South Africa has a robust wine regulatory framework with export controls similar to Australia’s. 

South Africa is the eighth largest producer of wine, accounting for approximately 3.9 per cent of the world’s wine. In 2022, the annual harvest amounted to 1 375 937 tons (1 068.3 million litres), of which 80.9 per cent was used for wine. In the same year, South African wine exports reached 368.5 million litres. 

In 2023, Australian imports of still wine (9 litre cases) ranked seventh. The majority of still wine imports are from the United States, Portugal, France, Italy, Chile and Spain. Having tapped into the emerging middle class, still wine had experienced significant growth in recent years. Key drivers were penetration of urban and rural townships by major liquor store franchises and affordable bag-in-box offerings. Alternatives to traditional glass bottles are expected to continue gaining in popularity. Red wine consumption is on the rise, gaining share from white wine. Rosé has contracted to some extent. Entry-level consumers increasingly seek sweeter and more approachable wine options.