South Africa | Heineken has embarked on a USD 70 million expansion of its Sedibeng brewery in a bid to ramp up capacity to meet the growing demand for its products. The expansion will take Sedibeng’s annual capacity from over 5 million hl to 8.5 million hl by 2020.
South Africa | The Stormy Smoked Porter by the Drifter Brewing Company has been named the winner of the inaugural African Beer Cup as the best beer in Africa.
South Africa | AB-InBev has suffered over recent quarters in South Africa not least because of a depressed consumer economy. During the first quarter 2019, domestic beer sales declined by “mid-single digits”.
South Africa | Zimbabwe’ listed beer and beverage company, Delta Corp, in which AB-InBev is a major shareholder with a 38.2 percent stake, will buy Diageo’s South African sorghum beer-brewer, United National Breweries (UNB).
South Africa | It was a timely move. Faced with a weakening economy, a heavy tax load and powerful rivals like AB-InBev and Heineken, South Africa’s craft brewers have finally come together and established an industry body called Craft Brewers Association South Africa (CBASA). It is led by a committee of industry stalwarts Brian Stewart, Wolfgang Koedl, Troye May, Nick Smith, and Apiwe Nxusani Mawela.
South Africa | Being a craft brewer in South Africa is not for the fainthearted. Dealing with small pockets of consumers, widespread ignorance as to what craft beer is and a hostile economic environment will be challenging, say Apiwe Nxusani Mawela, Brian Stewart, Wolfgang Koedl, Troye May, and Nick Smith, who form CBASA’s committee, in an interview with BRAUWELT International.
Mozambique | AB-InBev will start building a two million hl brewery, estimated at USD 200 million, in the second half of next year, the company said on 7 August 2018.
South Africa | What are we to make of AB-InBev’s launch of Carling Black Label beer in a one litre bottle for only ZAR 19 (USD 1.51)? Is it AB-InBev’s attempt to hike its volume sales through disguised discounting?
South Africa | Farmers in South Africa have filed a complaint with the country’s competition watchdog about AB-InBev’s decision to change its pricing formula for buying malting barley, media reported on 7 May 2018. Reportedly, farmers worry the new formula will leave them worse off.
Kenya | East African Breweries (EABL), which is majority-owned by drinks company Diageo, will start producing Diageo’s rum brand Captain Morgan locally as part of wider investments in its spirit business in response to growing demand.