South Africa bets on premium over volume as Gen Z drinks less but better
The Drinks Business quotes Steenberg’s Wiltshire on roughly 8% export pressure in bulk channels and a pivot toward provenance and sustainability stories for millennials and Gen Z. The strategy is fewer cheap litres, more bottles people are proud to choose.
Volume used to be the South African comfort blanket. Premium is becoming the plan B that feels like plan A.
The Drinks Business in June 2026 frames a national bet: sell better bottles, not only more bulk. Steenberg’s Wiltshire speaks to about 8% pressure in export bulk routes and to younger buyers who want provenance and sustainability they can believe. Millennials and Gen Z already drink less often; when they do drink, they want a story that survives Instagram and a dinner table. Cheap anonymous litres lose that fight to RTDs. Named farms, regenerative claims, and hospitality experiences compete differently.
Mini-concept: premium-over-volume is a margin and meaning strategy. You accept thinner volume if each bottle carries higher trust and price. It fails if “premium” is only a sticker; it works if farming and tasting rooms match the claim.
For young drinkers, this is the intentional-choice lane. One good bottle on Friday beats five forgettable ones. Choosing Steenberg or a peer with a clear place story over a no-name can is how SA wine stays relevant.
Keep one pattern: ~8% bulk export pressure, provenance/sustainability for Gen Z — premium as the sober response to drinking less.
Source: The Drinks Business