About Distell
Distell is a company based in Stellenbosch (South Africa) founded in 2000 was acquired by Heineken in November 2021. Distell has completed 2 acquisitions, including Burn Stewart Distillers and KWAL. Distell operates in a competitive market with competitors including Diageo, Shopstar, Ultra Liquors, liQuerc and ABV Brands, among others.
- Headquarter Stellenbosch, South Africa
- SectorsConsumer
- Website category Food and Drink · Beverages
- Email••••••••
- Phone•••• ••••
- Website distell.co.za
- Social LinkedIn X
- Acquired by Heineken (Nov 2021)
- Investors
- Investments & AcquisitionsBurn Stewart Distillers
& 1 more
- Acquired byHeineken
(Nov 2021)
Investors in Distell
Distell has secured backing from 1 investor, including institutional investors. Prominent investors backing the company include Heineken.
| Investor | Description | Founded Year | Domain | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Beer and cider brands are produced and marketed worldwide. | 1864 | heineken.com | Amsterdam, Netherlands |
Investor details for Distell
The complete investor list, round-by-round participation and investor portfolios require an active premium plan.
- Complete investor list
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- Investor portfolios
- Co-investor network
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People of Distell
84 people are tracked at Distell (12 in leadership, 7 in board & advisors, 65 in team).
| Name | Role | Group |
|---|---|---|
Richard Rushton | Group Managing Director | Leadership |
Jordi Borrut | Managing Director | Leadership |
Len Volschenk | Managing Director, Africa | Leadership |
Tina Ng | Brand Director | Leadership |
Andrea Freeborough | Head Of Winemaking And Viticulture | Leadership |
Natasha Moller | Human Resources Director (acting) | Leadership |
Wim Bührmann | Managing Director, Southern Africa | Leadership |
Werner Nolte | Cfo: Distell International | Leadership |
Deon Louw | Head Of Finance And IT Africa | Leadership |
Duif Richter | General Manager - North East Africa | Leadership |
Luso Mtonga-Bouwers | HR Business Partner (post Merger With Heineken) | Leadership |
Andre Beyers | Marketing Director: Africa | Leadership |
Joe Madungandaba | Independent non-executive director | Board & advisors |
Chris Otto | Independent non-executive director | Board & advisors |
André Parker | Independent non-executive director | Board & advisors |
Jannie Durand | Non-executive chairman | Board & advisors |
Gugu Dingaan | Director | Board & advisors |
Ethel Matenge-Sebesho | Independent non-executive director | Board & advisors |
Prieur Du Plessis | Independent non-executive director | Board & advisors |
Jarku Botha | Revenue Growth Manager | Team |
64 more people are available in the full profile.
Complete people profiles for Distell
Full employee and board profiles, team structure, tenure and professional contact details require an active premium plan.
- Full employee list
- Team structure
- Board tenure
- Professional contacts
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Investments & Acquisitions by Distell
Distell has strategically engaged in corporate development activities, having acquired 2 companies. Notable acquisitions include Burn Stewart Distillers and KWAL.
| Company Name | Description | Domain | Location | Founded | Acquired | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Multi-category alcoholic beverages are branded and distributed by KWAL. | kwal.co.ke | Nairobi, Kenya | 1969 | Apr 2017 | •••• | |
Brand of wines | burnstewartdistillers.com | Richmond, United Kingdom | 1946 | Apr 2013 | $168M |
Complete acquisition details for Distell
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- Acquired stakes
- Deal sources
- Complete history
- Exports
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Timeline of Distell
4 dated milestones of Distell across 21 years, from founding to its latest funding, stage changes and deals.
- Founded Distell is founded.
- Acquisition Acquires Burn Stewart Distillers.
- Acquisition Acquires KWAL.
- Exit Acquired by Heineken.
Competitors of Distell
Distell operates in a dynamic and competitive business environment, facing competition from various established players and emerging companies in the market. The competitive landscape includes prominent companies such as Diageo, Shopstar, Ultra Liquors, liQuerc and ABV Brands, among others.
| Company Name | Domain | Founded | HQ Location | Total funding | Employees | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| diageo.com | 1886 | London, United Kingdom | – | 1,966 | Multi-category alcoholic beverage company | |
| shopstar.co.za | 2013 | Cape Town, South Africa | – | – | Platform for makers to build, manage, and grow online stores with easy tools. | |
| ultraliquors.co.za | 1998 | Parkview, South Africa | – | – | Retailer offering beer, spirits, wine, and soft drinks through online and physical stores. | |
| liquerc.com | 1998 | Cape Town, South Africa | $37,000 | – | Functions as a brand specializing in wines and beers. | |
| abvbrands.com | 2010 | Sandton, South Africa | – | – | Multi-category premium spirits are distributed and marketed globally. | |
| equatorbev.co.za | 2006 | Springs, South Africa | – | – | Offers age verification services for users to access beverages in multiple countries. | |
| wcdistiller.com | 2017 | Langebaan, South Africa | – | – | Spirits are produced and branded in South Africa. | |
| halewood.co.za | 1999 | Benoni, South Africa | – | – | Brand offering wine and spirits products | |
| wildafricacream.com | 2003 | Paarl, South Africa | – | – | Brand of spirits |
Detailed competitors of Distell
The full competitor set, operating metrics and side-by-side benchmarks require an active premium plan.
- Full competitor set
- Operating metrics
- Benchmarks
- Competitive positioning
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Web traffic of Distell
The website of Distell (distell.co.za) receives about 29.4K visits a month and ranks #1,341,061 among all websites worldwide, #3,641 in Beverages.
- Monthly visits29.4K
▲ 70.2% vs previous month
- Unique visitors6.4K
per month
- Global rank#1,341,061
among all websites
- Category rank#3,641
Food and Drink · Beverages
- Bounce rate41%
- Pages per visit3.8
- Average visit3 min 27 sec
- DevicesDesktop 41% · Mobile 59%
Websites whose visitors overlap most with Distell. Affinity shows how closely the audiences match.
| Website | Domain | Audience affinity | Monthly visits | Global rank | Profile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| dgb.co.za | 100% | – | #2,890,946 | View details | |
esnell.co.za | esnell.co.za | 100% | – | #3,777,821 | – |
heinekenbeverages.co.za | heinekenbeverages.co.za | 88% | – | #730,682 | – |
jacobsdal.co.za | jacobsdal.co.za | 83% | – | – | – |
durbanvillehills.co.za | durbanvillehills.co.za | 71% | – | #633,831 | – |
| •••••••••• | ••••••.com | ••% | •.•M | #••••• | – |
| •••••••••• | ••••••.com | ••% | •.•M | #••••• | – |
| •••••••••• | ••••••.com | ••% | •.•M | #••••• | – |
All 9 similar websites and full traffic analytics for Distell
The complete similar-websites list, audience overlap and engagement analytics require an active premium plan.
- 9 similar websites
- Audience overlap
- Engagement analytics
- Traffic by brand
Verified entity values are shown only after access is granted.
Latest news on Distell
Complete news archive for Distell
Full article history, source details, and older brand coverage require an active premium plan.
- Full article archive
- Source and publication date
- Older coverage
- Brand-specific news history
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Similar companies to Distell
10 companies that operate in the same segment as Distell (Alcoholic & Tobacco Products), ranked by their profile score on The Company Check.
| Company | Description | Founded | Location | Total funding | Revenue | Employees |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Brand of craft beer and brewery chain operator | 2007 | Ellon, Aberdeenshire, United Kingdom | USD 440.93 M | – | – | |
Wines, spirits, and champagnes are produced and distributed worldwide. | 1975 | Paris, France | – | USD 10.71 B | 19,560 | |
Flavored craft beers are produced and distributed by Bira 91. | 2015 | Delhi, Delhi, India | USD 456.92 M | USD 105.75 M | 1,020 | |
Brand of beer | 2017 | Milford, United States | USD 251.44 M | – | – | |
Beer and cider brands are produced and marketed worldwide. | 1864 | Amsterdam, Netherlands | – | USD 26.58 B | 86,000 | |
Multi-category alcoholic beverage company | 1886 | London, England, United Kingdom | – | USD 19.36 B | 29,630 | |
Beer production, marketing, and sales are managed globally. | 2008 | Brussels, Brussels-capital Region, Belgium | – | USD 103.65 M | 2,054 | |
Brand of multi-category alcoholic spirits | 2017 | Delhi, Delhi, India | USD 9.83 M | USD 3.99 M | 54 | |
Premium beers, ciders, and non-alcoholic drinks are produced and distributed. | 1847 | Copenhagen, Denmark | USD 765.14 M | USD 14.02 B | 32,100 | |
Beer brands are produced and distributed by Ambev in Brazil. | 1999 | Sao Paulo, Brazil | – | USD 16.11 B | 43,000 |
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Frequently Asked Questions about Distell
Distell was founded in 2000.
Distell is headquartered in Stellenbosch, South Africa. It is registered at Stellenbosch, Western Cape, South Africa.
Distell was founded in 2000 in Stellenbosch, South Africa, within the alcoholic beverages sector. A range of products is manufactured and distributed, encompassing red and white wines, whiskeys, rums, ciders, and ready-to-drink options. Various brands such as Savanna, Hunters, Two Oceans, Amarula, and Three Ships are employed. Operations extend to 80 countries through an established distributor network.
Distell's top competitors include Diageo, ABV Brands and Wild Africa Cream.
Distell has made 2 acquisitions, including Burn Stewart Distillers, and KWAL.
Distell has 1 investor. Key investors include Heineken.
Yes. Distell was acquired by Heineken in November 2021.

