South Africa is set to increase total exports to a record 500 million liters in 2013 – 100 million more than the record set in 2012. Bulk wine exports have increased from 32.3% of total wine exports in 2005 to double that figure in the first half of 2013 – 170 million exported liters will be packaged as bottled and 150 million liters will be sold in bulk. Experts are concerned that by pushing bulk exports of wine without developing brand-recognized value in export markets, the value of the asset could erode as a whole as bulk prices are flattening out or even falling.
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