Strategic marketing | Messe München South Africa, organisers of IFAT Africa, food & drink technology Africa and analytica Lab Africa, have moved to enhance the value adds and strategic marketing for their exhibitors.

South Africa | So Heineken’s CEO Dolf van den Brink could be clinching his first major deal. There has been speculation about a tie-up between Heineken and Distell for years. Distell is run by former SAB executives, not least CEO Richard Rushton, 54, who was appointed to its board in 2013, following various leadership roles with SABMiller.

Mozambique | An unlucky coincidence: Just as AB-InBev celebrated the opening of a new brewery near Maputo on 1 April 2021, the French energy giant Total, at the end of April, declared force majeure and withdrew from its Mozambique liquid natural gas (LNG) project indefinitely.

South Africa | It was another blow to the country’s brewers that the government decided to curtail alcohol sales over the Easter weekend – especially as they were only given two days’ notice. The Beer Association of South Africa (BASA) criticised the decision, saying it is “unnecessary” and has “no valid basis”.

Nigeria | Nigerian Breweries, the country’s major brewer and 56 percent owned by Heineken, scaled up the remuneration of its top management by at least 25.2 percent last year. This came despite the covid pandemic battering its business and slashing its profit by more than half, the website Premium Times reports.

South Africa | It took brewers by surprise that the Government, without a warning, increased the excise duties on alcohol and tobacco products by 8 percent in its 2021 budget. The government argued this was to discourage their consumption and promote good public health.

South Africa | President Cyril Ramaphosa has eased some restrictions imposed due to coronavirus, including lifting an unpopular ban on alcohol sales. The announcement came as Mr Ramaphosa hailed the arrival of the first shipment of vaccines – one million AstraZeneca doses – on 1 February 2021, the BBC reports.

South Africa | The third national lockdown could devastate the craft brewing industry. But even the Big Brewers are not immune: AB-InBev-owned SAB laid off 550 temporary workers, due to the associated ban on the sale of alcohol, media reported on 24 January 2021. SAB also abandoned investments to the order of USD 165 million for 2021.

South Africa | AB-InBev’s local division, SA Breweries (SAB), will challenge the country’s ban on alcohol sales in court, saying the measure to contain the coronavirus is unconstitutional.

South Africa | AB-InBev-owned SAB will no longer be investing ZAR 2.5 billion (USD 140 million) in its annual capital and infrastructure upgrade programme this year. Next year’s ZAR 2.5 billion capital expenditure is also under review.