South Africa entered Covid-19 alert level 2 from midnight on 17 August 2020, with the relevant regulations being gazetted the afternoon before the move would take effect.
The following is specifically relevant to the wine industry:
- Licenced sale for off-site consumption is permitted from 09:00 until 17:00, from Mondays to Thursdays, but prohibited on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays.
- Licenced sale for on-site consumption is permitted from Monday to Sunday, subject to the curfew (before 22:00).
- Restaurants are open for sit-down service and on-consumption sales of alcohol.
- Tasting rooms are open for on-site wine tasting and off-consumption sales of wine, but only for delivery between Mondays and Thursdays.
- Bars, taverns and similar establishments may reopen with a restriction of 50 persons or less, and subject to the curfew (before 22:00).
- The following facilities may be open: museums, galleries, libraries and archives, as well as gyms and personal care services such as spas.
- The following is permitted to take place, subject to a limit of 50 persons: conferences, meetings, theatres, concerts, live performances and entertainment events, auctions and weddings.
- Accommodation establishments and tour operators may reopen, permitting no more than 50% of the available floor space to allow social distancing of 1.5m, provided that this may be increased by the Minister of Tourism.
- The prohibition on inter-provincial travel and air travel, has been lifted.
Vinpro is in the process of clearing up any ambiguity in the regulations, including the transportation and delivery of alcohol, and will communicate these as soon as we have clarification.
As per Vinpro’s media release on 15 August 2020 following president Ramaphosa’s announcement that the alcohol ban would be lifted, we would like to reiterate the following:
Although the industry was grateful to start trading and delivering online sales again, Vinpro said it was dismayed at the extent of the damage caused to the industry since the start of the lockdown in March 2020. “A long road to recovery lies ahead for the industry as a whole. As such, Vinpro is working closely with industry partners on a disaster recovery plan to address the urgent need to stabilise the sector,” says Vinpro MD Rico Basson.
“Now that trade has been opened up, we have a collective responsibility to ensure that it remains open. We therefore call on each person and business working in the industry to strictly adhere to the necessary health and safety regulations, while focusing on changing behaviour with regard to responsible production, promotion, trade and consumption,” Basson says.
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Vinpro
info@vinpro.co.za
