OnTap Magazine

As we enter the festive season, the South African Breweries is cognizant that 2021 has been a tumultuous year characterised by business instability as a result of numerous alcohol bans as well social unrest. As a key enabler of economic recovery, we have set various programs that will assist in economic recovery. SAB is determined to recover and grow the value chain along with our key partners. In light of SAB’s commitment to championing healthy drinking behaviour, the company has launched SAB Sharp, a Smart Drinking platform that aims to tackle the irresponsible behaviours associated with the overconsumption of alcohol. SAB CEO, Ricardo Moreira, says, “We’re a global company, brewing beers and beyond-beer products that aim to bring people together. It is therefore our responsibility to ensure that we play our part in confronting the social ills that are heightened by the irresponsible consumption of our products.” By creating an evidence-based platform like SAB Sharp, Moreira says SAB can move from simply creating awareness to partnering with government, communities, and tavern owners in addressing the societal ills caused by the overconsumption of alcohol in our communities. This includes multiple stakeholders from civil society organisations that span SAB’s various Smart Drinking mandates. The SAB Sharp platform forms part of the brewer’s five-year Smart Drinking plan in which it has set numerous targets that actively create a safer and smarter drinking culture. With a year’s worth of results from its various initiatives, this will form the basis of the platform’s evidence-based content that proves the effectiveness of SAB’s commitment. Moreira says SAB felt compelled to respond to government’s call to ‘do more’ to tackle responsible consumption and decided that the best course of action was to create its own platform. By insourcing the execution of a responsible consumption programme, he believes SAB is perfectly positioned to work on alcohol reduction efforts better, faster and with greater impact “The alcohol sector has been challenged by various stakeholders during key industry engagements to ensure that its efforts to curb the misuse of alcohol are accelerated and deliver tangible, meaningful results in our communities across the country,” says Moreira. SAB CHAMPIONS RESPONSIBLE CONSUMPTION THROUGH EVIDENCE BASED PLATFORM SAB SHARP The launch of SAB Sharp is part of the company’s five-year plan to create a safer and smarter drinking culture. The SAB Sharp platformwill drive tangible results in SAB’s delivery of programmes aimed in 4 specific pillars of responsibility: responsible communities, responsible driving, responsiblemarketing, and responsible trading. SAB has put in place tangible goals that will serve to focus its efforts to address the abovementioned societal ills. The brewer has made the following commitments: • We as SAB will help the nation Live Sharp: We will uplift the areas we do business in and drive economic inclusion as an enabler of thriving communities, while ensuring that we protect the most vulnerable people within them. We will prioritise the holistic inclusion and empowerment of women, youth and township and rural based businesses. We are calling on the Government to partner with us in creating an enabling environment for businesses in South Africa . • We as SAB will help the nation Drive Sharp: Reducing alcohol-related road vehicle accidents is part of our plan of action. We will continuously spread awareness to licensed drivers that no matter the reason, or how near or far the destination, it’s always better to have none for the road.  To this end SAB is calling on South Africans to refrain from driving after consuming alcohol and aims to help reduce alcohol-related incidents and fatalities by 2025. We as SAB will help our retailers Sell Sharp: We pledge to end the insistence of fun beyond the legal hours of trade. We pledge to end the excessive on-site consumption of alcohol, and we commit to enforcing the legal drinking age. To this end, SAB is calling on outlet owners and retailers to actively promote responsible drinking in their communities and the company aims for 100% compliance in Responsible Trading Programme standards. • We as SAB will commit to use our brands to Talk Sharp: We will promote the enjoyment of beer with dignity, on all platforms. Through the power of our iconic brands, we will show consumers that they can have fun without the regret of binge drinking or displaying irresponsible behaviour. To this end, SAB is calling on all its creative and media agencies along with its marketing teams to promote responsible communication of its products across all platforms and use its brands to change social behaviour. “We call on the industry to continue leveraging its power to invest in programmes that focus on responsible consumption. We call on government to continue partnering with us as we embark on this journey. And finally, we call on the nation to embrace new social norms and fix our relationship with alcohol,” concludes Moreira. 8 | Summer 2021 | ontapmag.co.za