E-Malt.com News article: Africa: SABMiller’s South African Castle Lager launching itself as a regional brand across the rest of the continent

Castle Lager, a brand synonymous with SABMiller’s heritage in South Africa, has begun to launch itself as a regional beer product across the rest of Africa, according to John Manser, acting chairman of SABMiller, Ventures Africa reported on June, 25.

Manser, writing in the world second biggest brewer’s latest annual report, said Castle Lager had posted its second year of double-digit growth on the back of strong trade in Africa.

“This demonstrates that even a brand with over 100 years of sales behind it can remain relevant to a new generation of consumers,” Manser said.

Manser said in many of the emerging markets SABMiller had now embarked on the “premiumisation” of the beer class.

This has prompted the company to start local premium beers that trade on “national pride” and present inexpensive luxury to drinkers wanting to trade up.

“At the lower end of the price ladder, particularly in Africa, we have set out to compete with informal alcohol through the development of affordable beers made from locally available ingredients,” Manser said.

“We started with the sorghum-based Eagle Lager in Uganda and subsequently launched two new cassava beers in Mozambique and Ghana.”

These products have opened up new markets for SABMiller. They have also offered fresh income streams for farmers formerly working at subsistence level and generating new springs of income for governments.


26 June, 2013