AFRICA'S NO.1 FOOD, BEVERAGE & MILLING INDUSTRY MAGAZINE

South Africa Breweries goes solo in promoting responsible drinking, industry stakeholders closely watch them

Jun 12, 2021Jun 12, 2021 Editor

SOUTH AFRICA – South African Breweries, the country’s largest beer producer has announced that it is seeking to explore new alcohol harm reduction strategies and in turn will be resigning from Aware.org. Aware.org is a non-profit organization (NPO) aimed to educate the public, organizations, and individuals about issues related to personal safety. Membership in such organizations is a prerequisite for trading licenses in the liquor industry for manufacturers, resellers, and traders. Aware.org describes itself as an organization that aims to mitigate alcohol-related harm through research, partner collaboration, stakeholder management, and…

South African Breweries rekindles hope for SA market, plans to invest US$147m in plant upgrades

Jun 8, 2021Jun 8, 2021 Editor

SOUTH AFRICA – South African Breweries (SAB), subsidiary of AB InBev, has now walked back on its investment plans in the South African economy, announcing it has allocated R2 billion (US$147m) for its home operations. This comes months after the maker of Castle Lager beer was forced to pull the plug on billions of Rands in planned operational investments in the country. At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in August 2020, the brewer withdrew a R2.5bn (US$164m) capital and infrastructure upgrade expenditure for the year, and later on in…

SAB introduces new Gin & Tonic drink dubbed Black Crown alongside Shine Club wine

Apr 22, 2021Apr 22, 2021 Editor

SOUTH AFRICA – South African Breweries has expanded its ready to drink alcohol beverage portfolio, with the launch of Black Crown Gin & Tonic. The drink with an alcohol by volume of 5%, is an easy drinking gin and tonic mixer, that has a crisp citrus aroma, where juniper gives way to refreshing lemon notes. Excitingly announcing its launch, Ricardo Moreira Zone President Africa at Anheuser-Busch InBev, said, “I’d like to take a moment to give a big congratulations to the ZX Ventures Team for their launch of Black Crown…

SAB to launch new B-BBEE scheme with US$371m worth of AB InBev’s shares

Apr 7, 2021Apr 7, 2021 Editor

SOUTH AFRICA – The South African Breweries (SAB), subsidiary of AB InBev is set to launch its new B-BBEE scheme SAB Zenzele Kabili which will own R5.4 billion (US$371m) worth of the parent compay’s shares, after the maturation of its SAB Zenzele in May 2021. SAB Zenzele is the largest B-BBEE scheme in the history of South Africa in the fast-moving consumer goods sector, with a total maturation value of R9.7 billion. Launched in 2010, the landmark scheme transaction endeavoured to give the company’s retailer partners – taverners, bottle store…

SAB launches new 620ml grand luxe of Brutal Fruit Ruby Apple Spritzer

Mar 24, 2021Mar 24, 2021 Editor

SOUTH AFRICA – South African Breweries (SAB) has introduced a new bottle size of the much-loved Brutal Fruit Ruby Apple Spritzer now coming in 620ml bottle an addition to the 500ml and 275ml. The new 620ml Grand Luxe is aimed to enable the targeted consumer who is the South African woman to delighted in the drink as she shares all of her special moments responsibly. “No matter how big the win, or how small the victory, #YouBelongToCelebrate with the new Brutal Fruit Grand Luxe. “Super proud of another exceptionally well-crafted…

South African Breweries once again shakes the alcohol market with launch of Flying Fish Seltzer

Mar 13, 2021Mar 16, 2021 Editor

Company name: South African Breweries Product type: Hard Seltzer Innovation: New Product SOUTH AFRICA – Hard seltzers, the low-calorie alcoholic sparkling water beverage that has recently disrupted the global low-alcohol market has landed in South Africa. Keeping to its true nature of introducing new innovative offerings in the South African alcohol market, South African Breweries (SAB) subsidiary of AB InBev is set to launch Flying Fish Seltzer in the country. The Flying Fish brand created the country’s first flavoured beer and this time round it is once again challenging category…

Increase of excise tax troubles South Africa’s alcohol industry

Feb 26, 2021Feb 26, 2021 Editor

SOUTH AFRICA – The dreaded announcement by South Africa’s alcohol industry finally befell the sector when the Finance Minister Tito Mboweni announced an increase of 8% on excise rate, which will exceed the targeted excise duties for wine, beer and spirits set by Treasury itself, at 11%, 23% and 36% respectively. The Beer Association of South Africa (Basa) – comprising the Craft Brewers Association, Heineken South Africa and South African Breweries – calls the announcement by the finance minister, “a kick in the teeth for everybody in the beer value…

SAB Foundation names winners of the Social Innovation and Disability Empowerment Awards

Feb 10, 2021Feb 10, 2021 Editor

SOUTH AFRICA – South African Breweries through its SAB Foundation has announced the 17 finalists in its tenth annual Social Innovation and Disability Empowerment Awards who walked away with a total of R12.6 million (US$827,000). Set up in 2010 as one element of the broad-based black economic empowerment transaction conducted by SAB, the foundation is an independent trust that annually invests millions of rands towards developing entrepreneurship in South Africa and the benefit of the wider South African community. During this year’s award event, the foundation named Meat Naturally and…

South African Breweries appeals for ‘responsible taxation’ to aid alcohol sector’s recovery

Feb 9, 2021Feb 9, 2021 Editor

SOUTH AFRICA – South Africa’s biggest beer maker, South African Breweries (SAB), has made an open appeal to the Treasury not to increase excise taxes in the forthcoming budget announcement, citing a need for the industry to recover from Covid-19, which resulted in three sales bans. “Dear Minister, our farmers are still recovering from the impacts of stopping alcohol trade. That’s why when you #TaxBeerResponsibly, you help our farmers sustain their grains, their livelihoods as well as the beer value chain. “This is one of the many positive effects of…

South African Breweries suspends contracts of 550 temporary workers as booze ban continues

Jan 25, 2021Jan 25, 2021 Editor

SOUTH AFRICA – It’s nearly a month since the government of South Africa reinstated the ban on alcohol sales and no word has been heard from the officials pertaining resumption of trade. Major industry bodies, associations and trade unions have warned of further job losses, collapse of businesses, dwindling income and billions of rands in lost tax revenue for government. The two previous alcohol bans resulted in 7,400 job losses and E14.2 billion (US$974 million) in lost sales for the beer industry, while the government lost R7.4 billion (US$485m) in…