KWV Wines

KWV (Ko-operatieve Wijnbouwers Vereniging van Zuid Afrika) is a large producer of wines, fortified wines, brandies and other alcoholic beverages based in the Paarl region of South Africa. It was founded as a cooperative in 1918 to protect growers from the loss of markets after the Boer War and World War I.

The co-operative developed and maintained export markets with Europe, and during World War II shifted focus to Asia and Africa. In the 1980s, worsening relations with the wider world over apartheid forced KWV to focus on developing new products for the local market, including flavored wines.

As foreign markets reopened to South African goods in 1990, KWV lost its control of the export trade and began restructuring and developing new strategies. In 1997, it converted from being a co-operative to a company, and today the majority shareholder is HCI, a black empowerment investment holding company controlled by the South African Clothing and Textile Workers' Union. The co-operative side of the business became the Wijngaard Co-operative.

From 1979 to 2009 KWV was a major shareholder in the Stellenbosch Farmers' Co-operative (later Distell). KWV now owns or co-owns numerous other brands across various markets, including Roodeberg, Laborie, Golden Kaan and Pearly Bay.