KWV, the South African Co-operative Wine Growers’ Association, or Ko-operatiewe Wijnbowers Vereniging van Zuid Afrika, was a statutory body established in 1918 after years of glut and grower bankruptcy, to fix production quotas and to minimize extreme swings between surplus and shortage. Over time, and as a result of the close ties between successive white governments and the influential grape-farming lobby, it became the dominant force in the South African wine industry. In 1998 it was relieved of its statutory authority and converted from co-operative to a company. It is now a moderately sized player in the domestic and export market, producing increasingly impressive wines in its premium ranges, as well as aged brandies which enjoy international renown.
