During a recent road-trip through the majestic open spaces of the South African Karoo, I was once again exposed to the fact that as a nation we have an alcohol problem that needs dealing with. It was Friday afternoon, and from the town of Laingsburg through Beaufort-West and onto the quaint historical hamlet of Richmond in the Karoo’s icy heart, a fair amount of drinking was being done – or had been committed – by the time I hit town.
Take note: this pastoral sketch did not show cheerful folk relaxing after a week’s toil, calmly sipping cool draught beers or chilled glasses of Sauvignon Blanc at roadside cafés. Instead, the local work-force were knocking-off. All drinking wine from plastic bottles with red-caps. Standing outside liquor stores as they stupefied themselves with Cape wine that somebody was selling to them for around R22 a litre. Ill-nourished, snot-nosed infants were tugging at their mothers’ frayed skirts, requesting attention of some sorts while the moms glugged thirstily at the plastic wine containers before passing the booze on to their male partners for finishing. Cents were counted and then it was back into the liquor store for a refill of vino.
Two young farm-workers in overalls sat next to the biltong store on Laingsburg main road, a plastic bag filled with plastic wine containers between them and each with a bottle in his hand. When I politely declined their slurred request to donate them some money, I was instructed to commit vigorous fellatio on myself, before them commenting on the condition of a female relative’s private parts.
Similar scenes played out in Beaufort-West and Richmond, and one can pretty well assume that this mass drunkenness resulting from the imbibing of cheap wine was the cause. And it has been the case in the rural – and urban – communities of South Africa for as long as I can remember. Most of us are aware of this, as well as the social ills it causes. Foetal alcohol syndrome, crime, ripped social fabric, domestic violence, child prostitution….slices of real South African life wherein alcohol plays a role and not showing any sign of abating.
The recent navel-gazing done by the South African wine industry shows that 52% of all wine sold locally reaches the consumer at below R30 a litre. This means some 220m of cheap wine is being made available to the public at prices that most industry insiders would regard as being “unsustainable”. Others would call it irresponsible and dangerous.
The damage inflicted by this cheap wine is twofold. As mentioned, there is the social destruction which, despite the wine industry talk and programmes and NGO activity is not showing any real signs of improving a society drenched in substandard, cheap booze. (These people drink, I might add, of their own free-will. This liberal assumption that drinking oneself into a stupor is “historical” and “endemic” is nonsense.)
Secondly, the dumping of rot-gut wine is hamstringing the quest to get the image of South African wine into a premium scenario where image and class is reflected through better pricing, hopefully leading to the much-needed economic growth the industry is clamouring for.
With 85% of all wine being sold at less than R48 a litre, the producers of the other 15% who urge price increasing of quality wines have a near impossible task. For the overriding image of South African wine is determined and driven by producers perpetuating the image of the wine category as cheap, nasty and brain-numbing. For every one producer trying to stick his or her hand up and request a better reputation and value proposition for the wine category, ten hippos are there to overrule any such efforts by forging ahead, seeing how much wine they can sell at a price their perpetually sozzeled customers are willing to pay.
By feeding this dependency and the public’s expectation of cheap wine, the presence of wine-drinking communities comprising people not exactly conducive to the image of the product just increases along with the population.
This begs the question whether South Africa should not follow the example of Scotland by invoking a minimum alcohol-price. Ask consumers to pay a minimum price of R40 per 750ml of wine. Hit them where it hurts. If it drives the low-level boozers to other products, so be it. Brand Wine South Africa does not need them and the category will be better off without their participation.
Same goes for producers doing business in this environment. There really should not be a place in Wine SA for producers who drag the image of the industry down and continue to ravage economically fragile communities by flogging plastic litres of wine at these current evilly low prices.
Until this situation is placed on the industry agenda there simply cannot be much sympathy for the lack of a premium image within wine South Africa.
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Excelent article and very valid points made.
This is a huge elephant in the room of every small town in South Africa.
And nothing is being done about it.
It is a blatant and shocking exploitation of alcoholics.
It destroys individuals/families/communities- and the authorities look the other way.
We see it daily in Barrydale.
Drinking in public ,to the point of extreme intoxication.
swearing/fighting/urinating/defecating- all in public.
where is Social Services?
Where is the SAPS?
Why are the liquor store owners who permit this apocalypse right outside their liquor stores not brought to book?
And yes- can we name and shame the companies that ruthlessly and shamelessly push this poison out in the poor communities , merely for profit? Who are they Emile?
It is an embarrassing cancer that eats away at the self-respect of people and communities and must be stopped.
I agree 100% with you Theo Nel. These companies must be named and shamed. This is continuing for years and is a norm in the poorer communities. I agree that these people are exploited. Why would SAP not do anything? In fact I’m sure that these people who consume the cheap wine are the ones who are thrown in jail. It is totally unacceptable that our people are allowed to purchase and consume this crap. Social Services could have done something by now. So terribly sad
dit is baie hartseer. ‘n probleem wat ontstaan het alreeds van Jan van Riebeek se tyd af. die vervreemding van plasslike gemeenskappe onder die ou bedeling het ook handhawende sosiale sisteme laat verbrokkel.
baie van die mense is eintlik so dierbaar; sagmoediges wat ingesluk en uitgespoeg is deur die wrede wêreld. Die SAPS is nie die oplossing nie. Miskien is meer simpatie nodig vir die mense se geskiedenis en omstandighede…
Raising the price of the basic “bompie” or “papsak” will NOT be the answer to less consumption. Joe Soap will buy it where and when it is available.
The closer regulation and enforcement of law is the answer.
Why must the wine producer and middleman ( P&P, Checkers.Tops ) jump through hoops to get a liquor licence,but the local shebeen sells alcohol 20 hours a day.
I agree that the production of the rubbish sold to the poor,has to be curbed,so plug this hole lawfully and enforce the law,by those who are not doing their jobs!
Good point, Francois.
Baie waar en ek kon nie meer saam stem nie. Uit alle eerlikheid is dit vir my swaar om te erken omdat ek deel is en grootgeword het in daardie tipe gemeenskappe. Die probleem kan egter slegs opgelos word op die langtermyn want daar is historiese, sosiale, ekonomiese en politieke faktore wat in ag geneem moet word. Dalk moet ons die voorbeeld volg van Skotland en kan dit bydra tot stelselmatige verandering maar dan sal ons bereid moet wees vir die gevolge daarvan.
Ek ken ‘n paer mense wat nie kan wag vir hul R300 weeklikse loon net om dadelik na uitval tyd drankwinkel toe te gaan vir “rooi proppie” (soos wat die locals dit noem) nie. Meeste van hulle doen dit as “escape” van hul negatiewe armoedige omstandighede. Ek beaam dit nie, maar dink tog daar moet ‘n mate van empatie en simpatie wees teenoor die groep mense. Dit is op die ou end van die dag nie net die mense wat die produk koop en dit misbruik wat skuldig is nie, maar maatskappye wat gedwing is om wins te maak wat hierdie mense uitbuit.
Dan kom kwaliteit ook in die prentjie. Ons kan nie R40 per 750ml vra vir swak kwaliteit wyn wat proe soos skottelgoed water nie.
Emile, I find it interesting that you suggest the wine industry can/should take this on. (Assuming the “industry agenda” you are referring to is the wine industry…)
Many things can be addressed through regulation – but it is already a very highly regulated industry.
I think enforcement of current laws would go a long way – as pointed out by several readers above.
But I think the most important question as also stated above: where are social services?
In my view that is the only way to stop the cycle from the recurring and continuing with the neglected children. And if regulation really is the answer it should be driven by social services – it would be interesting to know their suggestions for solving a problem in their area of expertise.
Social services are failing the country – even before the police and the NPA and the education system get a chance to do so.
Not only in relation to alcohol abuse but also other addiction, ill-nourished children on the streets (whatever the root cause), etc.
The brand damage however, that can possibly be addressed by the industry – without taking on the social responsibility as well. It could make that agenda easier to establish and execute – focused on the industry problem and following a “business approach”.
This is a social problem that requires Social Worker and employer responsibility The homeless are the same Maybe ban papsaks etc
Die grootste produsent van alkohol vir hierdie goedkoop mark is die ale industrie. Spesifiek die sg. rooi doppie alkohol.
Bykans ongereguleerd is dit hul mark. Water+suiker+gis en daar is jou “wyn”. Verskillende giste afhangend van hoe jou “wyn” moet proe.
SAB-Miller en die wynbedryf dra by tot die probleem SAAM MET DIE INDIVIDU.