OnTap Magazine

Brewing beer has been a meaningful part of African heritage for thousands of years. Visit almost any country in Africa, and you will find a local traditional brew and style. In South Africa we celebrate Umqombothi, or traditional sorghum beer, but historically beer is brewed on our continent using a variety of ingredients, from plantains to cassava root. Africa has a unique role to play in the international beer economy. The way it has embraced different brewing traditions – not only various African traditions, but for instance European styles such as lagers or ales – makes it an industry with truly creative offerings and a unique identity. In May, important players in the continent’s beer industry united in Cape Town for BeerEx Africa, a major event on the beer calendar. BeerEx Africa is held in conjunction with the African Beer Cup, which celebrated its fifth year this year. This competition is open to commercially licensed brewers from any part of Africa. Although South African craft beers are prevalent, brewers from Kenya, Zambia, Uganda, Namibia, Tanzania, Botswana, Nigeria, and Ghana have taken home prizes for their brews. BASA feels this is an expression of the traditional values of community, inclusion and variety that are so inherently African – we welcome all to enjoy the good taste of beer in their own way, while being part of a culture of responsibility and mindfulness. Nowadays, in the urbanised cities and towns of Africa, commercial and craft beer have grown in popularity. A globalised world means that Africa not only adopted commercial beers from other parts of the world but transformed their recipes. Think of the heady flavours of India Pale Ales (IPA) such as Triggerfish’s Titan, brewed with local hops with the distinct flavour of passion fruit, or of the very local taste of something like Folk & Goode’s Honey and Rooibos Weiss. Beer is also a vital economic force. In South Africa for example, 1 in 66 jobs are related to the beer industry, according to a study by Oxford Economics. The beer industry’s gross value-added contribution to South Africa’s GDP is in excess of R71 billion. The vibrant beer economy is evident elsewhere on the continent. It is estimated that the beer market in the whole of Africa contributed $29.4 billion (R544 billion) to the continent’s GDP. What is harder to quantify is the support that local, national and international beer companies give to African farmers, with the increase drive to use locally sourced hops, barley, maize and other grains. And in Africa as everywhere else, beer contributes to a whole value chain in the economy: starting on farms, relying on freight logistics services, and ending at retail or restaurant sales. But even with almost 18% of the world’s population living in Africa, the continent only consumes 8% of the world’s beer. This too is slowly changing. The African beer economy is expected to grow at a rate of over 6% per year until 2027. This growth potential means that international beer companies are investing in the continent. Multinationals AB InBev (which owns South African Breweries) and Heineken have both increased their African footprints and commitment to local markets in recent years. Last year, the main manufacturer of Umqombothi (marketed under the beloved beer brands Chibuku, Ijuba and Tlokwe) joined the BASA. BASA brings big commercial beer players, traditional and craft brewers together. One of the association's aims is realising the immense economic potential of beer. One of the main ways in which beer potential can be unlocked is through the wider establishment of a responsible beer culture that acknowledges beer’s complexity: it is uniquely African while being part of a global industry, and it is traditional while at the same time valuing innovation. AFRICA’S HEART BEATS FOR BEER 8 | Winter 2024 | ontapmag.co.za