JOHANNESBURG – South African wine and spirits maker Distell Group on Friday reported a 9.3 percent increase in revenue in the first-half, supported by higher volumes in the firm’s spirits and ready-to-drink businesses.
Distell, which makes Savanna cider and Amarula cream liqueur, said group revenue for the six-months ended Dec. 31 rose to 13.4 billion rand ($1.15 billion) from 12.3 billion rand a year ago.
Headline earnings per share, a widely watched profit measure in South Africa that strips out certain one-off, non-trading items, fell by 5.1 percent to 509.2 cents.
Retailers in South Africa are facing tough trading conditions as consumer sentiment hits multi-year lows and high unemployment and inflation erode disposable incomes in the country’s first recession in eight years.