Africa isn’t one market, it’s many markets. Many potential markets for Prosecco, but too often companies forget about them, due to prejudice and what Paolo Polegato, President of Astoria, called Africa’s “media marginalization.” Africa is only discussed in cases of immigration or humanitarian tragedies, which prevents it from being seen as an attractive outlet for our products. This translates into little effort, even from an institutional standpoint.
Vinitaly: Astoria celebrates its first 20 years in Africa
Marco Trovato of the magazine Africa, created precisely to show the many
reality of the continent, tells of a different world, made up of over 50 countries different, with a growing, young population, living in cities and
who consumes wine: even Italian wine, if given the opportunity.
Astoria Wines wanted to put the spotlight on the African market in
occasion of its first twenty years of commercial presence in Africa.
first contact came in 2006, the year Astoria sponsored the
Togo’s national football team at the World Cup in Germany. But the first purchase The official announcement came from Kenya, joined by 30 other states: South Africa, Ivory Coast and Ghana are the reference countries, but presence is spread quite evenly. The Kenyan importer himself was one
of the three importers present at the event, and told how it is
It is essential to accompany consumers with tastings and a presence at
support from the company too, because it is a consumer who leaves above all from sweet wines before moving on to drier wines and sparkling wines.
In Mozambique, however, thanks to the proximity and the strong presence of wines South Africans, there is already an excellent knowledge of the world of Prosecco, but the difficulties are linked to the 150% duties and the bureaucratic complexities and administrative procedures for managing payments.
“Every country has its own story – underlines the CEO Filippo Polegato – but we are convinced that it is important to invest in these markets, certainly more fragmented but also less saturated, also to diversify risks in a unstable macroeconomic context. Of course this means multiplying the
organizational efforts and equipping itself with a suitable structure and personnel.
This year we reached one million euros in turnover in continent.“ Astoria has opened the first of 10,000 bottles of Prosecco Superior dedicated to the anniversary.
The toast together with Miss Africa Italy Ngone Gueye, who also brought
a message of integration underlining the bond that Italians have
Afro-descendants represent a spirit for the union of our countries
also underlined by the work of “string art” that the artist Bara Abdoul
Rahim made during the day at the Astoria stand.