“We’ve almost quadrupled our turnover since I started with the company 15 years ago.”
We sat down with David Radloff, General Manager of Sales and Marketing at Niew Beverages, to discuss his experience with the company, its evolution beyond wine and the ambitions forming its next chapter.
David joined Niew Beverages as a branch manager in East London, drawn by the potential he saw in the business and in the role itself.
What began as a career opportunity soon became an up-close view of Niew Beverages’s transformation, as the company expanded its footprint, broadened its portfolio and created new opportunities across the business.
From wine roots to a multi-category business
Niew Beverages initially started as a wine-focused distribution company. Under the leadership of David and his team, over the last decade, it has grown into a more extensive liquor business, representing multiple brands across a growing range of categories.
“We’ve moved from just doing wine to now doing multiple brands across multiple segments of the liquor industry,” says David.
That expansion has been accompanied by a major shift in how the business operates. Niew Beverages has become more structured and data-led, bringing in specialist skills and experienced talent to strengthen how the team evaluates products and understands the market.
“[I]n terms of how we’ve evolved, we’ve become an extremely professional business,” David says.
While the company’s systems and capabilities have developed, the fundamentals of the business have remained unchanged.
“The basics in FMCG remain the same. It’s customer service, it’s consistency.”
For Niew Beverages, professional growth has not meant losing the culture which shaped the business. Stronger structures and clearer roles have been built around a people-first foundation that David believes remains central to the company’s identity.
“We don’t hire people; we hire family members,” he says.
It is this combination of professional capability, consistent service and close relationships that has enabled Niew Beverages to grow without losing sight of who it is.
The engine of success
For David, one of the most important drivers of Niew Beverages’s success has been its ability to respond quickly and keep open to change.
“The ability to adapt. […] [T]hat’s been key.”
In South Africa’s fast-moving market, conditions can shift quickly. That means being willing to reassess familiar ways of working, challenge established thinking and change direction when needed.
“You can’t keep on doing the same thing and expect different results,” David says. “If things aren’t working, you need to adapt and change your thought processes.”
This willingness to evolve has helped the business move with greater agility, make decisions faster and respond to opportunities before they are lost. It has also created a mindset in which change is not seen as a disruption, but as an important part of continued growth.
David adds, “[W]e’ve been very open to that, which has opened up multiple growth opportunities for us as a business.”
The decision that changed the trajectory
Niew Beverages’ adaptability is perhaps best demonstrated by its decision to expand beyond wine and build a more diverse liquor portfolio.
“The decision to ensure that we don’t have all our eggs in one basket and to pivot away from just being wine … was a key strategic decision,” says David.
With the global wine industry under pressure, relying too heavily on a single category carried clear risk.
Moving into spirits, ready-to-drinks and other segments created new commercial opportunities while making the business more resilient.
“That decision to diversify was a key instrument in the growth that we are seeing and that we continue to see,” he says.
The more extensive portfolio has also made Niew Beverages more relevant to customers and more attractive to established international brands looking for a capable route-to-market partner in South Africa.
“We want to be a one-stop shop,” David says. “When our reps walk into the stores, they can get anything from us. Whether it be wine, whether it be beer, whether it be an RTD (ready-to-drink) beverage, whether it be a gin.”
What sets Niew Beverages apart
Niew Beverages’ strength is based in its end-to-end capabilities. On the wine side, the business manages the full value chain, from vineyards and production to packaging, sales and distribution.
“We own the vineyards, we do the production, and then we distribute,” says David.
Its scale also creates economies of scale, allowing Niew Beverages to offer competitive distribution rates. Combined with the expertise of its sales and marketing team, this makes the business a strong, integrated partner for brands looking to grow.
Shaping a legacy through people
David measures leadership by the opportunities created for others and the strength of the business left behind.
“I’m not one who is for individual rewards,” he says.
Instead, his focus is on helping his team grow to support Niew Beverages’s broader goals and build a foundation which future generations can develop further. For David, that legacy also means ensuring the business continues to create meaningful investments for its farmers.
The ambition for the years ahead
Niew Beverages’s next chapter is focused on becoming the preferred distribution partner for leading liquor brands in South Africa.
“The idea for Niew Beverages is to put ourselves in a position where we’re seen as the go-to distributor for big brands in South Africa,” says David.
Achieving that goal relies on building a stronger, broader portfolio with reliable market access for both new and established brands. Crucially, Niew Beverages is pairing this commercial growth with a resilient foundation designed to support its people, partners, and farmers for decades to come.
Still building
Despite the progress Niew Beverages has made, David is careful not to describe the business as having already “made it”.
“I don’t think you can ever say that. I think that can lead to complacency,” he says.
For David, believing the journey’s complete can cause a business to stop working, strategising and looking for ways to improve.
“As a company, we’re still growing, and we’re still building, and we most certainly haven’t made it.”
It is this sense of hunger that keeps Niew Beverages focused on what comes next, ready to pursue new opportunities and continue pushing the limits of what the business can achieve.
An open invitation
As Niew Beverages looks forward, David’s message to brands looking for a trusted distribution partner is clear.
“Our doors are open for business,” he says. “Jump on the train and enjoy the ride.”
It is a fitting invitation from a business that is still growing, still evolving and ready to help ambitious brands find their place in the South African market.
Niew Beverages is ready to help you grow.
Contact our team to find out more about how our integrated distribution capabilities and industry expertise can support your brand.