Diageo boosted by Johnnie Walker scotch sales By contrast, growth in Latin America and the Caribbean, where drinkers enjoy brands such as Buchanan's whisky, went up 18pc. The second strongest performance has been from Africa, where sales have jumped 12pc over the same period, followed by the Asia-Pacific, which has seen 10pc growth. The company, which on Thursday reported third-quarter figures, forecasts half of its turnover to come from markets such as China by 2015. Paul Walsh, chief executive of Diageo, said: "'Our year-to-date performance continues to demonstrate that Diageo is well positioned with our balance of businesses across categories and with a large and increasing presence in the faster growing emerging markets." He said he was "cautious" on the outlook for Europe, although the company insists much of the sales decline reflects its decision to try to stop supermarkets slashing prices on its products. The shares closed up 24.5p at £16.14p.