Italian vineyards win the admiration of wine enthusiasts across the world. However, this glorious fame is changing thanks to wine producing countries in Africa.
Africans are now in the game with an established international market. While European countries lead in the production of this widely-loved drink, Africa has an indelible mark in the industry. The ancient traditions in Africa used to prepare wine is partly why it has a place in the international wine market.
We take you through the top African countries with vast vineyards.
Table of Contents
Which Countries In Africa Produce Wine?
As far back as 2500 BCE, African vineyards existed and they are still in business in the 21st century. Below are the biggest wine producing countries in Africa from the largest to the least.
South Africa
A vineyard in South Africa. Photo/ZMMI
Wine-making in South Africa dates back to the 17th century, part of the reason why it is Africa’s largest wine producer and ninth in the world. Mzansi accounts for half the tonnage that Africa produces and is of high quality. The industry took a hit before the 90s due to the apartheid rule. However, with it coming to an end in the mid-1990s, it transformed into a world-class wine producer.
Algeria
This North African country has a beautiful story regarding wine production dating back to the Phoenicians era. It sits as Africa’s second-largest wine producing country in Africa although political instability and economic repression negatively affected this sector in recent years.
Morocco
A Moroccan vineyard. Photo/Wine Explorers
Morocco’s capital Casablanca and Meknes have huge vineyards powering the country’s production of world class wines. Moroccan wine has a huge demand domestically and also internationally. It’s surprising that it is among wine producing countries in Africa given its semi-arid and arid nature.
Château, an authentic wine brand grown in Meknes’ 700-hectare vineyard is one of Morocco’s finest brands with huge sales abroad.
Tunisia
The dry and warm climate in Tunisia creates a favourable environment to grow grapes. That’s why Morocco Algeria and Egypt have rich vineyards. For Tunisia though, it produces wine purely for domestic consumption since its vineyards aren’t as big.
Nevertheless, grapes growing remains a viable farming venture since the days of the Carthaginians going as far back as the 5th century. Back then, Tunisia’s high-quality table wine would be exported to the Mediterranean region. Wine from Tunisia has a distinctly Mediterranean flavour of spices and ripe fruits.
Egypt
Just like the rest of North Africa, Egypt is one of the wine producing countries in Africa. The arid climate augurs well with grape-growing since the ancient days. In fact, wine in Egypt has a lot of biblical significance among her Christian population. However, being a Muslim-dominated country, alcohol consumption is widely discouraged.
The religious opposition of winemaking in Egypt has affected its production over the years. Further, economic and political factors saw the reduction of Egyptian-produced wine. But, the vineyards are still there to serve the wine needs of those who are interested in it all.
Tanzania
Overall, Tanzania isn’t blessed with the right climate for viticulture but the northern region has the perfect growth conditions for high-quality grapes. Tanzania’s vineyards sit beneath the iconic Mount Kilimanjaro ran by the Kilimanjaro Wines brand. It produces a variety of white, rose and red wines from different grape varieties. Kilimanjaro vineyards grow Chardonnay, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon varieties for export.
Although the county is still a small player in the market, it has a lot of potential for growth.
What Are The Top 3 Wine Producing Countries?
Italy, Spain and France are the world’s top three wine producing countries. Viticulture existed centuries ago and the tradition passes on to generations who keep refining it. The climate in these countries favours wine production not to mention the availability of land with perfect topography to grow grapes.
Moreover, a competitive global market for European wine makes it a viable venture to grow grapes.
What Is The Wine Capital Of Africa?
Franschhoek, a bubby town in Western Cape Province, South Africa appeals to many as the capital of Africa. For others though, the city of Cape Town sits perfectly as Africa’s wine capital. Notably, both Cape Town and Franschhoek are in South Africa’s Western Cape province characterized by endless acreage of vineyards.
Conclusion
South Africa tops in wine producing countries in Africa. North African countries are also on the list and save for Morocco, Egypt and Tunisia could do much better in this industry.
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