Welcome to Episode 1507, The African wine market - Why, Where, How and Whom should I be partnering with! - Deslandes Monteiro, Nicolaas Wilem Smit, Soraiya Ladak, Vannessa Koko Djaba, Victor Ikem, moderated by Temitope Akintola This is the wine2wine Business Forum 2022 Series. The sessions are recorded and uploaded on Italian Wine Podcast. wine2wine Business Forum is an international wine business forum, held annually in Verona Italy since 2014. The event is a key reference point for wine producers and a diverse variety of wine professionals eager to develop and grow their wine business worldwide. About today’ session: According to the United Nations, by 2050, 25% of the World Population will be Africans. 2050 is in 28 years and most of us and the wineries we represent will still be alive. What’s our plan to develop a relationship with this market? The African wine market session will serve as an eye opener to quite an obscure market with the intention of giving the participants the right tools to enter or develop an existing presence on this very important market for the present and the future. For the present, Africa’s wine market represents one of the fastest growing geographies. A major contributor to this growth is the rapid rise of the middle class in major markets like South Africa, Nigeria, Ghana and Kenya. More about today’s speakers Monteiro Deslandes graduated in Business Consulting and Business Law from the Faculty of Law of the University of Brescia, with specializations in Marketing and International Trade and Financial Markets, areas in which he has always been particularly interested. Nicolaas Wilem Smit was born and bred in Paarl, the heart of the Cape Winelands. He joined the wine industry at the age of 19. While working full time in the Industry, Nico dedicated himself to expanding his knowledge both in Marketing and Sales, by obtaining a National Diploma in Marketing and Sales at Boland College and BComm Degree in Business Marketing at the University of South Africa. He recently obtained a Diploma in Wine through Cape Wine Academy, ensuring he stays efficacious. Soraiya Ladak is a WSET Level 3 certified Sommelier, and Managing & Sales Director at The Wine Shop Kenya. The Wine Shop is a family run business that has been in both the Kenyan and Uganda markets in East Africa, dealing in the fields of Wine importation, distribution, and travel retail for over 20 years in both Kenya and Uganda. The Wine Shop is also a premium wine retailer, and an exclusive Wine Bar and Restaurant with an active e- commerce platform. Vannessa Koko Djaba is the CEO and owner of VDB Consultancy and Trade Ghana Limited with interests and investments in Fashion and Clothing, Real Estate, and the Food & Beverage Industries. Victor Ikem is the founder and director of Drinks Revolution Limited. He was formerly the National Brand Manager in charge of Campari Group business in Nigeria and the General Manager at Wine & Things Limited, Nigeria. More about today’s moderator Akintola Temitope (Temi) started his first business in Nigeria at the age of 17, grew it until when he ran into troubles with the regulatory bodies in the country abandoned it at the age of 26 to follow a career as an Engineer in the Oil and Gas Industry. Currently Temi is the Area Manager for Mediterranean Europe and Africa at ZONIN1821 where he and the team are responsible for the growth of the business on the continent. Temi is also responsible for ZONIN1821’s e-commerce business worldwide. _______________________________ Let's keep in touch! Follow us on our social media channels: Instagram @italianwinepodcast Facebook @ItalianWinePodcast Twitter @itawinepodcast Tiktok @MammaJumboShrimp LinkedIn @ItalianWinePodcast If you feel like helping us, donate here www.italianwinepodcast.com/donate-to-show/