A great pub trivia question to stump most punters would be “Who sang the top 20 hit The Future’s so Bright (I Gotta Wear Shades)?” Google would come to the rescue with the answer: Timbuk 3, a US outfit that has long faded into obscurity but left a line that’s outlasted its creators.
There was something of that sentiment on the third and final day of CapeWine 2025, the South African wine industry’s showcase to the rest of the world, held every three years. Wines of South Africa (Wosa) chose that day to reveal its new brand positioning or catchphrase. With Wosa staff walking through the Cape Town International Convention Centre and handing out bright orange-framed sunglasses to exhibitors and attendees, it was hard not to miss the positioning: “There’s Sunshine Inside”.
The concept embodies the fact that the country’s wines do indeed benefit from a surfeit of sunshine — but also the “warmth of its people and the richness of its culture”, the accompanying press release stated. “South African wines deliver bold fruit, crisp acidity and an unmistakable sense of place. They reflect an industry thriving through innovation, sustainability, diversity and inclusivity in a competitive global market.”
First-timers flown in from Canada, the UK, Sweden, Japan and elsewhere were dazzled and more than a tad overwhelmed. They were quite literally wined and dined at a host of breakaway events, visiting Bot River producers, the Hemel-en-Aarde and Constantia valleys, as well as Franschhoek for a deep dive into South African chardonnay and other wine styles. Stellenrust hosted a collab between the Old Vines Project and the Chenin Blanc Association as the majestic Helderberg mountain loomed behind and the sun shone down on a perfect early spring day in Stellenbosch. All of these happened before the exhibition even opened.
There’s little argument that the South African industry — like others — is having a tough time selling wine. US President Donald Trump’s tariffs notwithstanding, the reality is that people are cutting down on consumption, and younger generations are less interested in alcohol. However, James Reid, the GM of bulk sourcing and South African operations at Vinarchy, a global wine company, took a contrary view.
“I think South African producers will soon realise how good they have it,” he said. “If this was a show in New Zealand or America, there would be tears, not smiles.” Reid said the 2025 harvest was a good one and the stock level in South Africa was positive, unlike New Zealand, France and California, which were beset by problems such as floods and droughts, stagnant economies and vine pull schemes.
Tinashe Nyamudoka, former Test Kitchen sommelier and a member of the Zimbabwean tasting team featured in the 2021 movie Blind Ambition, now has his own wine brand, Kumusha. “It’s taken a lot of hard work and effort, but I’m really positive and optimistic about business,” he says. His main markets, other than the US, are Zimbabwe, Kenya and Ghana. “But it’s taken me years to establish those markets — at least seven years of visiting the countries, working on logistics and establishing relationships. Now I’m seeing the benefits,” he says.
According to the UN World Tourism Organisation, South Africa is the second most searched for wine tourism destination globally, just pipped by California’s Napa Valley. Industry experts say wine tourism in South Africa is set to boom. According to a study in 2022 by Wosa’s parent body, South Africa Wine, wine tourism contributed R9.3bn to the country’s GDP, representing 17.3% of total winery turnover. Depending on the size of the winery, it could derive between 3.6% and 36.3% of total turnover from tourism activities — foreign and domestic.
CapeWine 2025 was the most professional and impressive of the industry’s “haal uit en wys” fests to date. Foreign wine writers, agents, buyers and critics were united in their praise for the warmth with which they were received.
South African wine is about more than just fermented juice in a bottle. It’s inextricably linked with generous hospitality, the sheer personality of the people involved in making wine, the jaw-dropping beauty of the country and the multitude of touristic opportunities on offer.
Wosa’s new brand positioning of “There’s Sunshine Inside” hopefully spreads a generous glow throughout the industry and the impending summer of tourism.
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