The brand that is KWV has long been synonymous with quality and for many South Africans it has been a trusted alcohol choice.
Known for its award-winning brandy, in recent years the company has branched out into other forms of beverages, both alcoholic and non, and this has seen the brand flourish.
It is in this vein that Business Report wanted to pull back the curtain of one of South Africa’s most trusted brands and speak to its new leadership.
On June 1, 2023, John Loomes replaced Boyce Lloyd as CEO of KWV.
Lloyd was heading out the door but the negative impact caused by his wife’s involvement with the show “The Real Housewives of the Winelands” may have made his final days rather difficult for both him and the company.
KWV it seems is eager to spit that debacle into a spittoon as quickly as possible and allowed us access to their new CEO.
WHO IS JOHN LOOMES?
Loomes has a wealth of experience in senior management roles at a number of companies including Red Bull, Kimberly-Clark, Danone, Kantar Retail, Wal-Mart (Massmart) Coca-Cola and Brandhouse.
While it may seem that he was rushed into the position after the negative press Anita Lloyd caused, he was the heir apparent.
Loomes was serving as the incumbent CEO of KWV in a temporary chief operating officer role since September 2022.
According to the company, “In January his responsibilities were further expanded and he has effectively been managing the business for the past few months, demonstrating his readiness to assume full accountability as CEO from 1 June.”
When we sat down with Looms he demonstrated his willingness to be as transparent as possible about where the company is going. This was a refreshing change from some of the other CEOs I have had the privilege of interviewing.
KWV AND ITS FUTURE
It should be noted that Loomes believes that KWV will continue to grow and develop in the alcohol and beverage industry.
The company is “committed to playing a trailblazing role in the industry and driving the company’s growth ambitions,” he said.
He stressed that KWV has a well-established line of products and it is important to maintain those products and their quality.
“KWV has a great system of operations, that includes accounts operations, field sales executives and a wealth of great staff members. These people work incredibly and we want to maintain and continue to build on this execution.
“We have passionate people, and excellent brands and systems, and we’re really good at what we do,” he says.
“We also see the company moving into new niches and skews that will be driven towards enhancing our already existing brands but add to the market in a sustainable way.”
Loomes noted that the alcohol industry in SA is moving along the same lines internationally and that consumers are looking for beverages that are more healthy and lower in sugar and alcohol.
Loomes also noted that the non-alcoholic brands are increasingly becoming popular in the market. Though he could not confirm, it would seem that this may be a new avenue KWV will continue to pursue, develop and build on.
KWV is currently in 100 markets globally. The company also is clearly moving toward more African ecosystems. It should be noted that KWV is in Angola, Nigeria and Kenya.
The future of KWV seems bright despite the impacts of load shedding and the onslaught of the pandemic. Loomes remains hopeful and despite the challenges that brought him closer to the position of CEO he cannot stress how instrumental his former boss was in maintaining the reigns at KWV during the pandemic.
It should be noted that through those tumultuous times Lloyd was able to retain staff and job loss was almost non-existent . Loomes did note that for a few months employees, like most South African workers, received a pay cut but that money has since been restored to KWV workers.
ENTREPRENEURS
It would seem wise for young entrepreneurs looking to get into the industry, or pivot, would be wise to see what titans like KWV are doing.
One just has to look at how the gin market boomed and as such how local craft makers excelled in producing top tier gin that has rivalled some of the best internationally.
Beverage entrepreneurs would be foolish to not see that a gap in low calorie drinks and mixes need to be in their wheel house as they hope to develop in this space.
BUSINESS REPORT