News24.com | JUST IN | KWV CEO replaced amid Real Housewives fall-out

Anita Lloyd. Photo: Edrea du Toit

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KWV's CEO Boyce Lloyd will step down from his position early amid a furor over his wife's controversial appearance on the kykNET program Die Real Housewives van die Wynlande.

KWV confirmed on Thursday that John Loomes will replace Lloyd as CEO of KWV from next month. Lloyd was only supposed to retire from the position next year, but KWV said in a statement that it was part of a "carefully orchestrated leadership transition".

Lloyd's wife conduct on the show drew a widespread backlash. Constantly flaunting her wealth and massive house, Anita Lloyd made derogatory remarks about the poor.

Being poor, she says, is "really bad." 

She also claimed to regularly flying to London just for a Harrods shopping trip.

Some of the footage of the program was shot inside KWV cellars.

Her comments came amid continuing concern about the conditions of local farm workers. A new Scandinavian report, released in April, found instances of poor housing conditions and worker complaints about their aggressive treatment on three wine grape farms.  In 2016, a Danish documentary about horrendous labour conditions on SA farms triggered a boycott in that country.

The wine industry itself is also taking strain, amid load shedding and other challenges, including with the ports. 

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