Once a beer, now a whisky – South Africa’s Darling Brew launches Reminisce

South Africa | Darling Brew, an award-winning, carbon-neutral South African brewery, has broken new ground: this time, not with a beer, but with a boutique whisky. In a move that blends sustainability and ingenuity, it has launched Reminisce, a limited-edition five-year-old malt whisky, distilled entirely from beer, and the first of its kind in South Africa.

SAB must not call its girlie drink Brutal Fruit “demi-sec”

South Africa | They have been around for decades, but only now are brewers’ fizzy girlie drinks seriously taking off – so much so that Heineken and AB-InBev have been locking horns over the descriptive term “demi-sec”. In the dispute, the Advertising Regulatory Board (ARB) upheld a complaint lodged by Heineken Beverages against AB-InBev’s local unit South African Breweries (SAB).

South African wineries hit by 30 percent US tariffs

South Africa | Vintners are bracing for a hit, after a 30 percent US tariff left them at a sharp disadvantage to their international rivals, the Financial Times reported on 8 August. Africa’s largest economy exports more than half of its wine production, valued at USD 500 million per year. The US was its fourth-largest market in 2024, after the UK, Germany and the Netherlands.

Kenya in uproar: anti-alcohol watchdog plans curbs on alcohol sales

Kenya | A storm is brewing in Kenya over the latest proposals to restrict the sale and consumption of alcohol, including raising the minimum drinking age from 18 to 21, banning alcohol sales in supermarkets, restaurants, as well as online and home deliveries, the BBC reported on 31 July.

Kenya | British drinks firm Diageo has launched a review of its majority stake in listed brewer East African Breweries Ltd. (EABL). EABL has a market value of about USD 1.2 billion and Diageo is its largest shareholder with a 65 percent stake. The company has appointed Bank of America and Goldman Sachs to advise on the process, Bloomberg reported on 28 July.

Ethiopia | Kegna Beverages is making a USD 250 million investment in the beer market, officially opening a 3 million hl brewery in Ginchi, a town some 80 km west of the capital Addis Ababa in Oromia Regional State. The lager with the brand name Kegna (meaning “our”) is brewed with local barley and will hit the market immediately.

South African vintners on edge as Trump plans 30 percent tariff

South Africa | On 2 April 2025, US President Donald Trump reached for an economic cudgel in the form of tariffs, and South African wine found itself slapped with a 30 percent levy. The US is South Africa’s fourth largest wine export market by value – USD 52 million worth of wine in 2024. During the 90-day grace period (until 8 July) the baseline tariff of 10 percent applies. But the 30 percent threat hangs over the industry like the sword of Damocles.

Wagner’s Africa Ti L’Or beer: vodka and water with tramadol?

Spit Central African Republic | In the streets of Bangui, the capital of the Central African Republic (CAR), the beer brand Africa Ti L’Or has imposed itself with disconcerting speed. Marketed as a national brand, it bears a promising name, “Africa is gold” in Sango, the lingua franca of the CAR. Despite evoking Africa’s wealth and pride, the beer is not what it claims to be. Allegedly, it is a toxic cocktail: a mixture of vodka, dubious water and, even worse, narcotic substances like tramadol.

South Africa’s alcohol prices to rise

South Africa | In an unprecedented move, the 2025 National Budget was cancelled minutes after it was supposed to be tabled in early February. Notice of the cancellation came after the members of the Government of National Unity (GNU), a coalition, could not agree on the proposed tax changes, particularly the increase in value-added tax (VAT) from 15 percent to 17 percent. Leaked documents showed that the government had plans to hike the excise duty on alcohol and tobacco by 6.83 percent, and above inflation.

Naira depreciation pushes Nigerian Breweries to highest annual loss ever

Nigeria | The Nigerian brewing industry has been faced with inflationary pressures coupled with a Naira devaluation, which led to recurring losses. The country’ largest brewer, Nigerian Breweries, reported a post-tax loss of NGN 144.8 billion (USD 97 million) for its financial year 2024, as detailed in its financial report released on 14 February.