Hennessy crowns SA as its third-largest playground in the world

SA has emerged as the world’s third-largest market for premium cognac maker Hennessy, says its CEO, with the brand looking to make further inroads in Africa.

In SA for a work visit, Laurent Boillot, president and CEO of Jas Hennessy & Co, said the brand’s sales grew exponentially in SA since 2001, surpassing all European countries.

“SA has become our third-largest country in the world in terms of volumes we sell. That is a superb achievement. The US is number one, followed by China. We have had a super journey here. SA has become a sizeable business for us. This is the reason I am here,” he said.

“The first time we shipped a Hennessy cognac in SA was in 1866. By 2001, we were selling about 300 cases a month and 23 years later we are selling a lot more. A lot of people aspire to have the Hennessy experience.

“The way we have been building the brand is to be part of the culture. The brand is a badge of progress. People are proud to take Hennessy.”

The brand is sold in more than 120 countries, said Boillot, who took over in 2020. The brand is distributed in SA by The Really Great Brand Company, which also distributes its sister brands Veuve Clicquot and Moët & Chandon and other premium brands. Hennessy found favour with well-off individuals and resonates with SA’s emerging black middle, with townships now filled with high-end social establishments.

Boillot said cognac, a variety of brandy, was also seeing a surge in Nigeria. “We are in about 30 countries in Africa. We are looking at making further inroads in Kenya, Tanzania and West African countries like Cameroon. This continent matters to us. We want to be bigger in Africa.”

Sagaci Research’s latest study found that while cognac originated in France it is consumed very little at home. The country exports nearly all of its production. French-speaking African countries consume the least cognac and brandy in Africa. Consumption in Africa is driven by English-speaking markets. Kenya, SA, Zambia and Nigeria are listed as the biggest consumers. The research found that French Hennessy is the favourite among African cognac and brandy drinkers, competing with the likes of Remy Martin, Courvoisier and Martell. Sagaci said SA is the world’s fifth-largest cognac market.

“Findings show that SA men are 56% more likely to have consumed cognac than women in the past year. We also see that older and wealthier populations are a lot more likely to consume the spirit.”

khumalok@businesslive.co.za