• Currently 101 957 hectares of vines producing wine grapes are under cultivation in South Africa over an area some 800 kilometres in length. White varietals constitute 56% of the plantings for wine, with Chenin Blanc plantings comprising 19% of the total. Red varietals account for 44% of the national vineyard. The most widely planted red varietal is Cabernet Sauvignon, accounting for 13% of the total. Shiraz accounts for 10%, while Merlot accounts for 7% and Pinotage, which is indigenous to South Africa, represents 6%. The local wine industry continues to re-align its vineyard offering in line with international trends. While the focus has been on planting red varieties, the last two years have seen shortages of white wine and therefore increased plantings of Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay.
• Some 256 908 people are employed both directly and indirectly in the wine industry, including farm labourers, those involved in packaging, retailing and wine tourism. Wine tourism employs over 59 000 of these people. According to a study, commissioned by the SA Wine Industry Information & Systems (SAWIS) and published in 2004, the wine industry contributes 8.2% to the Western Cape's gross geographic product (GGP). The study also concluded that of the R16,3 billion gross domestic product (GDP) contributed by the wine industry to the regional economy, some R4,2 billion was generated indirectly through wine-tourism activities centred in the winelands. About R11,4 billion eventually would remain in the Western Cape to the benefit of its residents.
• Growth in contribution to the GDP has been at least 10% per annum since 2003.
• In terms of world wine production, South Africa ranks as number seven in overall volume production of wine and produces 3.0% of the world's wine (2006).
• Of the country's total annual harvest of 1 089,0m litres in 2008, 70% was devoted to the making of wine, 8% to wine for brandy, 15% to distilling wine and 7% to grape juice concentrate and grape juice. Of the country's estimated total annual harvest of 1 015,4m litres in 2009, 77% was devoted to the making of wine, 7% to wine for brandy, 13% to distilling wine and 3% to grape juice concentrate and grape juice.
• Exports of natural (i.e. non-fortified) packaged wines for the 2007 calendar year reached 190,7m litres, an increase of 8% on the previous year. Red wine exports grew by 19.1% to account for 59% of all natural wines exported.
  

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