The four business units of the council won’t be affected by the resignation of producers, because they are funded by statutory industry levies.
In their joint press release, Salba, VinPro and WCSA emphasised that they remained committed to the objectives and activities of the units: the Wine Industry Network of Expertise and Technology (Winetech), Wines of South Africa (WOSA), SA Wine Industry Information & Systems (Sawis) and the Wine Industry Development Association (Wida). André Morgenthal of WOSA, the industry’s generic export marketing association, confirmed it will be business as usual. “The industry has made a great investment in the council and it’s disappointing to see things implode like this. We’re appreciative of what Dr Johan van Rooyen and his team achieved, specifically in terms of transformation and development initiatives. The council also absorbed many industry issues, which significantly alleviated administrative pressure on us.”
