South Africa – Premium beer consumption is set to rise 5.9 percent annually until 2025, with the pandemic year 2020 only proving a brief setback.

South Africa – At long last. South Africa’s Competition Tribunal, on 9 March, granted Heineken approval to take control of Distell Group and Namibia Breweries. This allows Heineken to create a new business in Africa.

Nigeria | What a blunder. The new naira notes rollout caused a shortage of cash and worsened a lack of consumer demand for beer, Nigerian Breweries, a unit of Heineken, said on 24 February.

South Africa | Those striped pants types cannot get enough. Drinks firm Distell and one of its customers, the black-owned duty-free business Nu Africa, are facing each other at the Competition Tribunal.

Nigeria – The country’s third largest brewer, International Breweries, which is majority-controlled by AB-InBev, has faced several challenges in the past five years since it launched a major offensive for market share in Nigeria’s beer market.

South Africa | They say patience is bitter, but its fruit is sweet. It had better be. Because it has been a year since Heineken announced it will take over Distell, in a deal worth USD 2.5 billion. Nothing much has happened since, as all await the regulators’ rulings.

South Africa | After nine months of investigation, the Competition Commission, on 9 September, okayed the USD 2.2 billion deal, on condition that Heineken honours its promise to divest its Strongbow brand in South Africa, Namibia, and Botswana.

Namibia | The country’s competition watchdog is expected to issue its ruling on Heineken’s takeover of Namibia Breweries this month. A member of Namibia’s competition authority already hinted in June, in an opinion piece on the website economist.com.na, that the deal could receive the green light.

Africa | After several decades, Castel and Coke have terminated their contract at the end of June 2022. Rumour has it that Castel wanted a better deal and Coke said no. Rivals were quick to step in, not least Portuguese beverage group Refriango in Angola, where Castel has since hammered out a contract to bottle Pepsi products. Being the major brewer in Angola, Castel may succeed at switching Coke drinkers to Pepsi.

Cameroon | “Natural” monopolies may be sneered at, but they are nice to have. Once France’s Castel Group takes over Guinness Cameroon, it will be home alone in this important African beer market.