1989 and all that
We seem to know what we mean when we remember “1989”: images of jubilant crowds standing on top of the Berlin Wall are vivid in our minds. But when we reflect on the seismic changes that came with it – the collapse of the Soviet Union, the end of the Cold War, the rise of American hegemony – 1989 feels like ancient history. Still, the ruptures of 1989 heralded in an era of accelerated globalisation. As China, Russia, India, the nations of eastern Europe and Latin America began to deregulate and liberalise their economies, many brewing companies pursued a feisty acquisitions policy to establish beachheads. But only a brewer from South Africa knew that it would take more than clever deal-making for a company to grow sustainably: a belief in people, a brand-led culture and a long-term vision. Twenty years after they embarked on their international expansion scheme, SABMiller rank as the world’s only truly global brewer.
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