KWV Vintage Port 1984

The former KWV Co-operative was formed on 8 January 1918 by the South African wine farmers, to act as a spokesperson, adviser, production and marketing innovator of the South African wine industry in general, and for its farmer members, in particular. Today, its 4 500 farmer members are the shareholders of the KWV Group.

With its conversion to a group of companies in 1997, the regulatory and administrative functions that the KWV Co-operative exercised on behalf of the state, have been transformed to the newly-established Wine Industry Trust. This Trust has been formed as a non-profit organisation, jointly by KWV and the Minister of Agriculture, to perform these functions, as well as ensuring the generic promotion of South African wines abroad.