OnTap Magazine

Cheers! Joya Taft-Dick EDITOR From The Editor A s this issue goes to print, South Africa is not just experiencing a slow shift in the seasons – from a tentative autumn to a more strident winter – but also a national election. Regardless of outcome speci cs, it feels like change is afoot. One such notable change is the new leadership at the Beer Association of South Africa (BASA). We at On Tap would like to warmly welcome Charlene Louw to the role and I for one greatly look forward to seeing what her expertise and passion can bring to the industry. I was also struck, as this Winter issue came together, by how various players in the beverage industry are working hard to shift public perception, and speci cally, negative perceptions, of both beer and wine. Among these pages you will read about one woman’s initiative to provide a beer education to young professionals as a way to address unemployment – all the while tackling alcohol-related taboos. You will meet a South African brewer who has opened the rst craft brewpub in Ghana and who uses beloved local ingredients to bring the craft uninitiated into the fold. I spoke with a wine company that is hoping to educate the outside world on what South Africa has to o er, while simultaneously challenging the establishment in-country to better open its doors. With these shifting sands, there is also much to celebrate in the beer industry, as Charlene observes in her opening letter. is is evident in all the festivals and competitions that are so painstakingly organized and which are seeing greater and greater participation and support. e addition of a new awards category at the African Beer Cup to champion beers made with traditional African brewing grains is an exciting change highlighting innovation and creativity across the continent. If I may speak in broad strokes, Africa is increasingly announcing herself on the global beer stage, and the world would do well to take note. With that, a huge thanks as always to the On Tap team, to our incredible contributors, and to you, the reader. I hope you are as inspired by the intrepid folks on these pages as I am. ontapmag.co.za | Winter 2024 | 1