Small wine-producing towns in the Western Cape are keeping the local industry afloat, according to a report on Sunday.

The Weekend Argus Sunday edition reported that vineyards in towns such as Worcester and Robertson, along with smaller towns along the Breede and Olifants rivers, outperformed traditional regions like Stellenbosch and Paarl.

These areas were planting more vineyards, according to the 2011 Vinpro survey on production costs and profitability of nine wine region and 258 provincial wine farmers.

Last year, these areas produced 20 tons of grapes per hectare compared with eight tons in Stellenbosch and Paarl.

The industry had suffered losses as a result of tough economic conditions, but was being kept out of the red by smaller producers.

According to Vinpro figures in the report, the vineyards along the two rivers had an average net income of R18,400 per hectare.