More South African wine in the UK is sold to British tourists that have visited South Africa, or who have friends or family living there, than to South Africans living in the UK, according to research conducted by S A Wines Online.

Up to 80 % of S A Wines Online’s British customers have visited the Cape Winelands, reports BizCommunity.com.   More than 500 000 Britsh tourists travel to the Cape, including Cape Town, the Winelands, and the Garden Route, every year.

S A Wines Online has teamed up with South African Direct, a British TV channel available to SKY viewers, to market this country’s wines.   “Wine tasting and dining out is a big part of the cultural and emotional experience for travellers to South Africa.    We have found that when they return, they seek to recreate that experience and thus become regular consumers of South African products such as wine and food”, according to Pierre van der Hoven, CEO of South African Direct.   The company markets the lifestyle and culture of the Cape Winelands, and not only its wines, thereby boosting tourism to the Cape.