South Africa, Côte d’Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Nigeria and Morocco were the five biggest importers of champagne in Africa for last year, according to Comité Champagne, a trade association that tracks the volume and value of exports from France.
The rest on the top 10 list are Cameroon, Congo, Gabon, Togo and Mauritius. Champagne, a French sparkling wine associated with luxury, has long been the go-to drink for celebrations.
Many people love to pop the drink to celebrate happy occasions, from birthdays to weddings to clubbing and spending time with friends. The champagne brands are at the higher end of consumers’ lifestyles.
BusinessDay reported last week that champagne shipments from France to Africa’s biggest economy plunged to the lowest level in at least 11 years largely on the back of rising inflation and weaker naira.
The country’s champagne import volumes fell by 53.2 percent to 302,141 bottles in 2023 from 646,036 bottles in 2022. The value also declined by 49 percent to £12.9 million.
The level of champagne imports into the country last year is almost at par with that of 2020 (304,199 bottles). The drop in imports saw Nigeria fall from its position as the second biggest buyer out of 48 African countries.
Globally, champagne shipments also fell by 8.2 percent to 299 million bottles in 2023. According to Comité Champagne, orders have returned to a “steady pace” and to pre-COVID levels, following a rollercoaster three years that saw shipments slide during lockdowns in 2020 before rebounding strongly in 2021 and 2022.
“The decline was to be expected – but with the value maintained, champagne is still optimistic for the future, whilst remaining sensitive to the geopolitical context and the state of the global economy,” said David Chatillon, president of the Union des Maisons de Champagne and co-president of the Comité Champagne.
Here are more details on the top African importers of champagne
South Africa
South Africa was the biggest champagne importer with 1.42 million bottles, up from 1.34 million bottles imported in 2022. The value of last year’s imports was worth £35.95 million.
Côte d’Ivoire
Côte d’Ivoire imported 681,549 bottles of champagne worth £13.99 million, ranking second in imports.
Democratic Republic of the Congo
The Democratic Republic of the Congo imported 360,451 bottles of champagne valued at £12.52 million, compared to 398,947 bottles worth £11.58 million in 2022.
Nigeria
Nigeria ranked fourth in champagne imports, bringing in 302,141 bottles valued at £12.89 million in 2023, down from 646,036 bottles worth £25.28 million in 2022.
Morocco
In 2023, Morocco imported 292,471 bottles of champagne worth £7.62 million, compared to 243,639 bottles valued at £5.83 million in 2022.
Cameroon
Cameroon imported 281,880 bottles of champagne worth £8.41 million in 2023, up from 242,827 bottles valued at £6.81 million in 2022.
Congo
The Congo imported 259,721 bottles of champagne in 2023 worth £6.44 million, compared to 234,914 bottles valued at £5.38 million in 2022.
Gabon
Gabon imported 206,398 bottles of champagne worth £4.67 million in 2023, down from 227,596 bottles valued at £4.36 million in 2022.
Togo
Togo imported 201,077 bottles of champagne worth £5.02 million in 2023, up from 196,782 bottles valued at £4.36 million in 2022.
Mauritius
In 2023, Mauritius imported 125,339 bottles of champagne worth £2.88 million, compared to 141,405 bottles valued at £2.79 million in 2022.
