ABOUT US - The Story behind SMCG WINES?

Solving a Major Pain Point in African Luxury and Hospitality
It all started in Babi… Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.

If we could trade wine across borders, we knew we could trade anything Africa creates.

Born during the uncertainty of the 2020 COVID lockdowns—and woven together from decades of travel, procurement, and first-hand frustration—SMCG Wines began as a leap of faith. We had long noticed how shops across the continent failed to stock wines and ingredients suited to local palates, especially when we travelled. When borders closed in 2020 and the South African wine industry was haemorrhaging losses (with estimates of R200 million per week in lost revenue during full alcohol bans) and tens of thousands of jobs vanishing, Reuters Screenocean+2UCT Graduate School of Business+2, we were in Abidjan and saw firsthand how only 2–3 South African wine brands were available among over 2,000 producers. It struck us: if we could crack the cross-border wine trade, we could one day build continental trade in home care, food, and lifestyle goods produced by Africa.

   

 

So we added wine to our group portfolio—not because it was easy, but because it was needed. With our Botswana and South Africa bases, we now consolidate, curate, and control every bottle. We build hands-on relationships with hotels, corporates, connoisseurs, and lifestyle enthusiasts through World of Wines retail experiences. But our vision is bigger: to prove that Africa’s brands and products can travel with dignity, integrity, and prestige. We remain bold, disciplined, and ever curious. The rest is history still in the making.