When thinking about wine marketing, we often focus on consumer trends and we look at what is new within the wine drinking community. But how about extending our efforts to markets where there is less competition from wine? Markets where wine is still small? How about Africa?
According to Mac Mabindilala, Africa accounts for 16% of the world’s population and 5% of the world’s alcohol consumption. While that doesn’t leave us with many wine drinkers, it does leave us with enormous scope. Urbanisation is happening in Africa, bringing with it Westernisation and opportunity for wine brands. While according to Mabindilala, the market is often still illicit, informal and independent, the opportunity is there – even before you consider modern retail development and global trends like increased female consumption that nowadays extend to Africa.
France is the first country one associates with wine. Therefore wine culture is not that foreign in what used to be “French West Africa” – a federation of eight French colonial territories that existed from 1895 to 1960: Mauritania, Senegal, French Sudan (now Mali), French Guinea (now Guinea), Côte d’Ivoire, Upper Volta (now Burkina Faso), Dahomey (now Benin), and Niger.
But if you want to target areas with less competition, perhaps East Africa is where your mind should be at.
We had the wonderful privilege of visiting Tanzania last year. The famous Serengeti migration exceeded our highest expectations. Africa is a wonderful place to travel to when you want to steer away from cities and crowded public places- one of the Covid-induced travel trends. I therefore envisage travel to Africa to grow substantially in years to come.
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