At CapeWine 2025, South Africa’s export marketing organisation, Wines of South Africa (WoSA), unveiled a new brand identity that embodies South Africa’s distinctive qualities of sunshine and diversity.
The repositioned brand includes a new logo, bright visuals, and a unified message: There’s sunshine inside.
WoSA realised the need for a rebranding exercise as part of a new export value growth strategy, developed in collaboration with other stakeholders in trade and industry and finalised in 2024.
To better represent South Africa’s distinct identity, it needed to present a unified message that would resonate with international audiences. WoSA approached the accomplished local design agency Singh&sons to create a distinct brand positioning and visual identity that would elevate South African wines globally.
Unbridled optimism
Their market research and stakeholder interviews with exporters, international retail buyers and importers zeroed in on a theme of irrepressible optimism. “Our country’s resilience is rooted in our history, unity and belief in tomorrow, despite the challenges,” says WoSA CEO, Siobhan Thompson. “We’re a young and ambitious country that turns challenges into possibilities, and that’s true of our wine industry as well. We’ve shown incredible resilience through drought, bans, global politics and market pressures.”
Optimism is about more than just surviving; it’s also about thriving under these conditions. “Our industry is driven by innovation, sustainability and transformation,” Siobhan says. “We rely on a rich blend of diversity, tradition and New-World energy to put optimism in every bottle.”
This sense of optimism is not limited to people. South Africa is also known for the intensity and availability of sunshine. “Abundant sunlight is behind the diverse climate that shapes our wines, with rich fruit flavours, vibrant acidity and distinct regional character,” says Siobhan. “From Stellenbosch to Swartland, it creates balance, brightness and beauty.
“Both people and place contribute to our wine,” she adds. “When you reach for a bottle of South African wine, you can be sure there’s sunshine inside.”
In design terms, these features and attributes translate into distinct emotional benefits. “You can feel adventure when you try our wines in different places; feel uplifted as you enjoy wine in ordinary or special occasions; feel in the know by experiencing our heritage and culture; and feel assured that you’ve made the right choices that are also good for the environment.”
Knowing the strengths particular to South African wine, while acknowledging that wine can be enjoyed and experienced in different contexts, also gives the new positioning a refreshing flexibility in addressing the needs of different markets.
South African wine at a glance.
The logo resembles both a morning sunrise and a profile of South Africa’s national flower, the iconic king protea, native to the Cape fynbos region of the Western Cape. The typeface is still recognisable compared with the earlier design, but a little more rounded.
Warm red, orange, and brown tones supplement the bright yellow primary colour, while its geometric shapes are well-suited to digital media. The emblem could easily be animated for video. Other collateral shows the same bright colours in joyful settings, with hints of sunlight.
Aligned with tourism
WoSA also aligned its strategy with the tourism market. While its export strategy will elevate South African wines in key international markets, local wine tourism draws travellers to experience those wines in their place of origin.
“Visitors who discover South Africa’s winelands often become lifelong advocates and buyers in their home countries, reinforcing export demand,” explains Marisah Nieuwoudt, Wine Tourism Manager of South Africa Wine. “Together, these strategies strengthen the value chain: exports drive global recognition and revenue, while tourism creates immersive brand experiences that stimulate spending in market and foster repeat international purchases.”
Wine tourism’s five-year plan.
South Africa Wine recognises wine tourism as a key driver of South Africa’s visitor economy and the wine industry’s prosperity. Its wine tourism strategy for 2025-2030 will target three areas:
- Market growth and brand positioning, presenting South Africa as the world’s most diverse and authentic wine tourism destination under the tagline Find your sunshine, which highlights the warmth of the people, landscapes, and experiences while complementing WoSA’s There’s sunshine inside export brand.
- Quality and visitor experiences – introducing a quality assurance programme in partnership with the Tourism Grading Council to set high service standards and provide a “quality mark” for top-performing wineries.
- Enablers and measurement will focus on people development to build skills and empower local communities, while strengthening wine tourism intelligence with data collection and KPIs such as visitor numbers, GDP contribution, and brand sentiment to track progress.
“The strategy aims to lift the entire value chain – wineries, wine routes, and local communities – by driving demand from both domestic and international travellers, creating jobs, and showcasing South Africa’s unique blend of sunshine, innovation, and hospitality,” says Marisah.
The new branding is a bold step towards breaking the glass ceiling where South African wines are still perceived to belong in the “affordable wine” segment globally. As part of South Africa Wine’s comprehensive export strategy, WoSA is well-positioned to elevate the entire category – both bulk and packaged, domestic and international – to more sustainable levels.
Buyers and consumers can expect to see Wines of South Africa’s new identity on full display at ProWein and Wine Paris next year.
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WINES OF SOUTH AFRICA (WoSA) is a not-for-profit organisation which promotes the export of all South African wine in key international markets. Apart from the head office in Stellenbosch, WoSA also has offices in Johannesburg, England, Canada, USA, Sweden, China, the Netherlands and Germany.
