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By Mary Holland
With more than 50,000 cases of COVID-19 shown, South Africa has returned to an ambitious and debatable policy: banning the sale of beer, wine and alcohol to prevent mandatory hospital beds from being filled through other people with alcohol-related injuries. The federal ban, implemented in July along with a curfew at night, is the time when the pandemic has banned alcohol by the government after employing the strategy in April and May. It seeks to relieve tension in the fitness system, but in doing so, it has created probably insurmountable disorders for a South African pillar, the wine industry.
It is estimated that 80 wineries and more than 350 wine producers in South Africa could close next year if the ban is not lifted soon. For wineries, a main attraction for foreign tourists, the break in the sale of alcohol paralyzes the business, especially because South African wines are mainly sold in the national market.
“We had just started building our local market. We have now had to suspend the hiring of more staff due to uncertainty,” says Ntsiki Biyela, aslina’s winemaker and director, who ran in 2017 in Somerset West.
The domino effect of banning the sale of alcohol can simply be devastating. On the one hand, wine farms and vineyards are an engine of job creation in South Africa, from agriculture itself to shipping wines, packaging, etc., says Eben Sadie of Sadie Family Wines in Swartland, who sees that the ban is doing more harm. . that good. “Obviously, alcohol in certain sectors of society has a negative effect, but I don’t think this ban regulates [that],” he says. “The illicit industry is flourishing and the organized wine fraternity is in ashes, the same one that contributes to taxes and customs duties.”
In fact, the black market is flourishing as more frustrated South Africans brew their own beer or smuggle. “We illegally bought 4 instances in total of the wineries,” admits the Capetonian Jessica Cash, who bought her fair percentage of bottles under the ban.
Already under pressure from COVID, the food-eating industry in South Africa is also being decimated by the ban. Restaurants face a sharp drop in foreign consumers, as borders are closed to foreign tourism, and locals. The inability to serve wine is another blow, as alcohol sales are vital to the back line of a place to eat. “We perceive that it has an effect and danger of the virus, however, the government’s alcohol policy and curfew implementation have made it highly unlikely to work,” says chef and restaurateur Reuben Riffel, owner of places to eat across the country, adding Reuben is in Franschhoek.
Mullineux – Wines from the Leeu family at Roundstone Farm
Some commercial owners are creative, such as David Cope, founder of Publik Wine Bar, who ran his online wine shop into a “buy now, delivery after ban” effort. But that’s enough to keep the company afloat: Cope had already had to close its place to eat in Johannesburg and turned its place to eat in Cape Town, which specializes in local wine, into a fried bird bar. “It’s like the government has strong control over the hotel industry and is gradually getting stronger,” he says.
As the sale of alcohol is banned in the country, wineries and vineyards are turning to foreign tourists who have enjoyed drinking syrah on their adventures in South Africa. Foreigners can still buy and ship South African wines abroad, and winemakers urge their previous visitors to do so. Biyela recently exports 90 percent of Aslina’s wine, with the aim of going on the foreign market.
“We urge wine lovers to try South African wine the next time they have a selection; our wine has never been so exciting and delicious,” says Chris Mullineux, of Mullineux and Leeu between Franschhoek and Swartland. “We and our workers want your support.”
Buying wine to drink at home isn’t the only way to get it Several places to eat have joined the Restaurant Rescue Project, an initiative to save hospitality businesses, where visitors can purchase a gift card at a place to eat (such as the world-famous Wolfgat and The Test Kitchen) and get a box of local wine with their food. Most coupons are valid for two years or more, meaning you can eat places and vineyards now and enjoy them when you can travel to South Africa in the future.
South African wines, such as Aslina sauvignon blanc and the red sadie Family Columella blend, can be purchased online at Drizly or Wine.com. Don’t check the variety at your local wine shop, as many invent a handful of South African labels.
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