SA BREWERIES

Latest Activity

20 APR 2011

Castle Lite innovation to leave other beers out in the cold
Castle Lite is about to leave other beers out in the cold. The South African Breweries recently announced that premium brand Castle Lite will be the first beer in South Africa to do innovative new packaging that includes a temperature sensitive inked indicator showing optimal enjoyment temperature. The innovation has been made available on pack and in store since mid-October this year.

01 MAR 2011

SAB builds apple ales’ momentum with new premium brand
Following the global trend of premiumisation in beer, the South African Breweries (SAB) Ltd has announced the introduction of a new premium apple ale in the flavoured alcoholic beverages (FAB) sector. Blakes & Doyle Premium Dry Apple Ale will hit the shelves on 1 October 2008.

02 JAN 2011

SAB launches new brand in high performing flavoured alcoholic beverage segment
“During 2007, we increased our level of product innovation to match competitor activity with the launch of a new lemon flavour variant of our Brutal Fruit offering and Sarita, a new apple flavoured malt drink. Such was Sarita’s success that we launched a variant, Sarita Ruby Dry, earlier this year and another Brutal Fruit variant, Passionate Peach, in November last year.

01 SEP 2010

Brandhouse welcomes withdrawal of SAB’s Demand More catalogue
Brandhouse Beverages (Pty) Ltd welcomes the Advertising Standards Authority’s decision in ordering SAB to withdraw its “Demand More” catalogue.

Related News

Distell forecasts higher profit
24/01/2012 - 08:02
Liquor group Distell (DST) advised on Monday that earnings per share and headline earnings per share for the six months ended 31 December 2011 are likely to be between 20% and 25% higher than the corresponding reporting period of the previous year.

SA wine consumers on the rise
23/01/2012 - 10:57
Traditional stereotypes about wine in South Africa are fading as a new generation of black wine connoisseurs and producers enters the wine scene.

Southern Comfort brings brand character to Facebook
20/01/2012 - 13:53
Southern Comfort, the Brown Forman-owned spirits brand, has launched a Facebook campaign featuring the fictional New Orlean's music legend, 'Baron Jazz'.

SABMiller boosts beer volumes
19/01/2012 - 10:51
London - Global brewer SABMiller [JSE:SAB] reported a 3% rise in beer volumes in the last three months of 2011 to match forecasts, led by the emerging markets of Africa and Latin America which helped offset falls in North America and Europe.

SABMiller launches MGD in China
17/01/2012 - 07:38
London - The world’s second-largest brewer SABMiller [JSE:SAB] launched its first global brand, Miller Genuine Draft (MGD), in China on Monday to drive its growth in the world’s biggest beer market.

SABMiller prices $7bn bond issue
12/01/2012 - 09:48
Brewing giant SABMiller (SAB) subsidiary SABMiller Holdings Inc. has successfully priced a US$7 billion bond issue.

SABMiller pursues Castel's Africa unit
10/01/2012 - 09:16
London - Global brewer SABMiller [JSE:SAB] said it would be interested in acquiring the African brewing operations of French group Castel if it were available, as the two announced on Monday that they were strengthening their links in Africa.

France champagne maker introduces English sparkling wine
09/01/2012 - 08:06
France-based Grand Cru Vineyard has released the English fizz wine, Meonhill, made from grapes grown from rootstocks planted in Hampshire.

Russian Standard Vodka acquires 70% stake in Italian wine producer Gancia
20/12/2011 - 09:17
Russian Standard Vodka, a premium Russian vodka brand owned by Roustam Tariko, has bought 70% stake in F.lli Gancia & C, an Italian sparkling-wine and vermouth producer to expand the Italian company.

SABMiller eyes Kenya's premium beer segment with Miller Genuine Draft
08/12/2011 - 09:00
SABMiller will introduce its third beer, Miller Genuine Draft, in Kenya on 8 December, aiming at the premium segment of the local beer market which is currently catered to by rival beer brands Heineken and Tusker Malt.

Alaskan Brewing to uncap new seasonal beer
06/12/2011 - 09:43
US-based craft brewery Alaskan Brewing is set to add a third seasonal beer, Black IPA, to its existing line up in January 2012 .

Heineken launches Facebook bottle design contest
05/12/2011 - 09:00
Heineken is to use Facebook to source the design for a limited edition bottle to celebrate its 140th anniversary next year.

Heineken buys 918 British pubs
05/12/2011 - 08:15
Amsterdam - Dutch brewer Heineken NV says it has purchased Galaxy Pub Estate, owner of 918 pubs in Britain, from Royal Bank of Scotland PLC for 412 million pounds ($646 million) in cash.

Shipyard Brewing launches Applehead ale
02/12/2011 - 08:56
US-based Shipyard Brewing Company has added a new seasonal beer Applehead to its Pumpkinhead line.

Spar group’s Tops outlets boost growth despite competitive arena
30/11/2011 - 10:28
Spar Group emerged from a challenging consumer environment with a 10.4% growth in turnover and 3.9% increase in earnings as reported earlier this month in a performance partly boosted by the resilience of its liquor outlet, Tops.

Heineken opens regional headquarters in Kenya
30/11/2011 - 10:01
Dutch brewer Heineken has opened a regional headquarters in Nairobi to drive growth of its brands in the East African beer market. The office will be headed by its East African arm's general manager, Koen Morshuis.

Australia approves Foster's takeover
28/11/2011 - 07:50
Sydney - Australia on Friday approved brewer SABMiller's AU$9.9bn takeover of Foster's, but with strict conditions that will see key operations remain in the country.

Champagne Deutz to implement new brand representation strategy in US
25/11/2011 - 08:58
French champagne producer Champagne Deutz will implement a new Regional Representation strategy beginning 2012, allowing importers / distributors outside the Champagne Louis Roederer network to represent the brand in the US.

Spar full-year profit lags consensus
22/11/2011 - 07:57
Johannesburg - Grocery retailer Spar Group [JSE:SPP] missed forecasts with a 3.3% rise in full-year profit as tough competition, weak selling prices and fragile consumer demand weighed on its margins.

SABMiller to build capacity in Africa
21/11/2011 - 08:19
Following strong growth in Africa and Latin America, SABMiller will invest more than $500m to build capacity in these subsidiaries, it has said after releasing its results for the six months ended September.

Consol’s R1,9bn green plant opens
18/11/2011 - 08:39
Consol Glass has officially opened its R1,1bn new environmentally efficient, world-class plant in Nigel near Johannesburg, mainly producing bottles for alcoholic beverages.

SAB grows market share and revenue
18/11/2011 - 08:20
Despite flat lager volume growth and a decline in soft drink volumes in its home market, SAB still managed to grow turnover and market share in the six months ended September, the company said yesterday.

SABMiller eyes tougher time in Europe, US
18/11/2011 - 08:01
London - Brewer SABMiller [JSE:SAB] narrowly missed forecasts with an 11% rise in half-year earnings on Thursday, and warned that trading in Europe and North America will stay tough as its input costs tick higher.

SABMiller invests $295m in Peru subsidiary
17/11/2011 - 10:52
Global brewing giant SABMiller is to invest in a $295 million capital investment programme in its Peruvian subsidiary Backus.

Heineken, Coca-Cola Hellenic to raise stakes in European JV
11/11/2011 - 09:19
Dutch brewing major HEINEKEN and Coca-Cola Hellenic have reached an agreement to acquire 41.2% shares in their joint venture beverage company, Pivara Skopje, in Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) in Europe.

New Belgian craft beer lands in UK market
10/11/2011 - 10:02
SABMiller subsidiary Miller Brands has signed a distribution deal with Van Steenberge Brewery and Sint Stefanus Monastery of Belgium, to launch a new craft beer, St Stefanus Belgian abbey beer, in the UK.

C&C Group snaps up second largest cider brand in North America
09/11/2011 - 15:53
Irish beer & cider specialist C&C Group has acquired the Hornsby's Hard Cider brand from North America's E & J Gallo Winery for a cash consideration of up to €20m. The transaction includes trademarks, inventory, formulas and global rights to the second largest North American cider brand.

African roots create market for SABMiller
02/11/2011 - 15:35
Brewer launches low cost cassava-based beer for Mozambican market to capture previously untapped low income earners

Canadian wineries team up to form joint venture
01/11/2011 - 09:08
Canada-based Wayne Gretzky Estate Winery has entered into partnership with Andrew Peller Estates to form a Joint Venture with an aim to accelerate the growth of Wayne Gretzky Wines across Canada.

Odom-Southern buys Washington wine wholesaler Cavatappi
31/10/2011 - 09:14
Odom-Southern of the Pacific Northwest, a joint venture of Southern Wine & Spirits of America and the Odom Corporation has purchased Washington-based fine wine wholesaler Cavatappi Distribuzione (Cavatappi).

China's Yanjing beer gets new distributor in Spain
27/10/2011 - 10:22
The Yanjing Beer Group, a Chinese beverage producer, has selected Miquel Alimentació Group as the new and exclusive distributor of its Yanjing beer in Spain.

Diageo continues partnership with Southern Wine & Spirits
27/10/2011 - 10:18
Global premium spirits, wine, and beer producer Diageo has extended its agreements with Southern Wine & Spirits of America (Southern), a national wine and spirits distributor in the US. Southern will now continue to be the spirits company's exclusive distributor for eight US states.

Heineken Revenue Beats Estimates
26/10/2011 - 10:16
Heineken NV, the world’s third- biggest brewer by volume, reported revenue growth that beat estimates as sales in western Europe fell less than expected.

East African Breweries delays sale
25/10/2011 - 08:23
SABMiller official confirms delay saying the process was awaiting approval of some documents by parties including Tanzania’s capital markets regulator

Jim Beam Meeting Skinnygirl Invites $11 Billion Liquor Takeover: Real M&A
24/10/2011 - 09:22
Jim Beam bourbon and Skinnygirl cocktails may be enough to convince Pernod-Ricard SA (RI) and Diageo Plc (DGE) to attempt the biggest spirits acquisition in six years.

Tennent's Lager to expand into new international markets
21/10/2011 - 09:42
Irish beer and cider producer C&C Group said its Tennent's Lager brand is set to expand into new international markets. The company is planning to take the beer, which is currently sold in Australia and Canada, to the US early next year and later to other countries in Europe.

SABMiller SA lager volumes flat, up 3% globally
20/10/2011 - 09:54
SABMiller, one of the world's largest brewers with interests and distribution agreements across six continents, on Wednesday noted flat lager volumes in its native market South Africa in the first half of its 2012 financial year, impacted by weaker consumer demand. Overall however, the group said it sold 3% more beer in the first half.

SABMiller in strategic alliance with Anadolu Efes
19/10/2011 - 10:36
International brewer SABMiller and Anadolu Efes on Wednesday unveiled plans to form a strategic alliance that would create an entity that would hold the number two market position, in value terms, in the Russian beer market.

Major global firm offers to buy VuQo premium vodka maker
18/10/2011 - 09:54
VuQo Holdings Corp, the producer of VuQo Premium Vodka, said the company has received a letter of acquisition from a major global company known for establishing and operating bars, nightclubs, restaurants, and hotel and resort properties.

BrewDog uncaps brand's first beer brewed under seawater
17/10/2011 - 09:21
Scottish craft brewing giant BrewDog has unveiled a new beer that is brewed at the bottom of the North Sea. The beer, by name Sunk Punk, is said to be the first beer to be brewed underwater.

Winemaker Bodegas Riojanas Targets Annual Profit Growth of as Much as 10%
12/10/2011 - 09:36
Bodegas Riojanas SA (RIO), a Spanish producer of Rioja wine founded in 1890, expects full-year earnings to climb from a year earlier as promotions and lower operating costs offset a battered domestic market.

Trump name boosts fledgling Va wine industry
11/10/2011 - 09:04
Virginia's fledgling wine industry got a global boost Tuesday from Donald Trump's millions of dollars, his celebrity and his luxury properties worldwide where wine from his new vineyard will be a staple.

KWV ‘plays legal points’ against shareholder proposal
07/10/2011 - 08:55
A legal battle is brewing between wine and spirits group KWV and some of its minority shareholders, led by activist Chris Logan, following moves by the minority shareholders to present a resolution to shareholders at the company’s upcoming annual general meeting (AGM).

Report of buyout talks sends SABMiller up 10%
07/10/2011 - 08:20
SABMiller "unlikely" to be bought by AB InBev because of the potential cost of exiting joint ventures, and the price of a takeover according to London analyst.

Pearlfisher re-brands Wyld Wood cider PKBR
05/10/2011 - 10:56
UK-based design agency Pearlfisher has created a new brand identity for Westons Cider’s Wyld Wood Premium Organic cider.

French wine producer reports success with ProLiner PP30
04/10/2011 - 10:30
Used by Castel for the application of labels in its two bottling centers of Castel Languedoc Roussillon and Blanquefort Bordeaux, the UPM Raflatac ProLiner PP30 release liner has allowed the French wine company to improve its productivity and environmental performance.

Diageo Outbids SABMiller, Heinekein With $225 Million For Ethiopian Brewer
04/10/2011 - 09:45
Diageo Plc (DGE), the world’s largest distiller, agreed to buy Ethiopia’s state-owned Meta Abo Brewery for $225 million after outbidding SABMiller Plc (SAB) and Heineken NV. (HEIA)

Ad industry unites against ban
03/10/2011 - 08:26
Cape Town - Members of the advertising industry have come together in an effort to prevent the government's proposed ban on alcohol advertising, it emerged on Friday.

Alcohol ad ban will close firms - agency
30/09/2011 - 08:56
Johannesburg - Banning alcohol advertising will force small and medium outdoor advert companies to close down, Out of Home Media SA (OHMSA) said on Thursday.

SAB launches Brutal Fruit in new packaging
29/09/2011 - 10:24
South African Breweries (SAB) brand and alcohol-based cooler Brutal Fruit has relaunched with a new look from SpearPackaging Africa.

Alcohol ad ban for sponsors, says minister
29/09/2011 - 09:09
Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi’s proposed ban on liquor advertising would wipe out all sports sponsorships by alcohol companies if it became law.

SAB’s past 12 years a lot to swallow
26/09/2011 - 08:46
In 1999 at the time South African Breweries transferred its primary listing to London it was a very big fish in a small pond. Just more than 12 years and about $30 billion (R247bn) worth of acquisitions later, SABMiller is a big fish in a very big pond. In terms of revenue it is the second largest beer group in the world, trailing a good bit behind Anheuser-Busch-Inbev (AB-Inbev).

South African wine bottles get 'smart'
23/09/2011 - 14:28
South African website wine.co.za is offering free QR-codes - codes that can be read by smartphones - to local wine estates for use on their bottles, giving consumers quick and easy access to information about the wine on the internet.

Australian wine seeks new markets amid falling sales
23/09/2011 - 10:48
New figures show sales of Australian wine have fallen sharply as the industry faces its worst slowdown in a decade and a half.

Bosses defend iconic Foster's sale
22/09/2011 - 08:55
Sydney - Foster's executives on Thursday defended the decision to approve a takeover for the iconic Australian brewer that will put it in foreign hands for the first time in its 150-year history.

Restrictions looming for liquor advertising
19/09/2011 - 09:07
The recent call for a total ban on the advertising of alcohol by the national Minister of Health prompted the organisers of the 3rd Annual Western Cape Liquor Conference include this issue for discussion at the conference held on the 9th of September.

SABMiller’s application rejected
09/09/2011 - 08:54
Foster’s rejected SABMiller offer worth A$9,25bn or A$4,7675 per share as too low, company says it is open to discussing a "sensible" bid

Michael Fridjhon Wine
02/09/2011 - 15:38
Old wine is something of an acquired taste. For many enthusiasts, anything with more than 10 years in the bottle is an unknown experience. The culture of ageing wine began its retreat in the inflationary years of the 1970s. It gathered pace as producers developed ways — such as focusing on early-release varieties — to make their wines market-ready sooner.

SAB: Licence moratorium harms economy
02/09/2011 - 08:25
Johannesburg - A six-month moratorium on the issuing of new liquor licences in Gauteng is hurting the economy, SA Breweries (SAB) said on Thursday.

No outright ban on alcohol ads seen
31/08/2011 - 13:36
But team plans "significant" restrictions on alcohol advertising and, possibly, a ban in particular segments of the media

Gauteng liquor licence moratorium stays
30/08/2011 - 08:36
Pretoria - The chaos at the Gauteng Liquor Board would become worse if an urgent application for the setting aside of a moratorium on issuing licences were to be granted.

Weak Foster’s results give SABMiller’s offer a chance
29/08/2011 - 08:30
A sustained appreciation in the value of the Australian dollar or the arrival of an aggressive private equity player are regarded as the only factors that might impede SABMiller’s success in acquiring control of Australian brewer Foster’s.

SA vineyard workers maltreated - report
23/08/2011 - 10:36
Johannesburg - Workers at vineyards producing South Africa's internationally renowned wines are denied many of their basic rights, a Human Rights Watch (HRW) report said on Tuesday.

SABMiller make new offer for Foster’s
17/08/2011 - 08:40
SABMiller has made a new offer to acquire the Australian brewer after the original offer was rejected

South African Wines reached milestone - 10 local wines achieve perfect score
15/08/2011 - 08:52
August 11, saw SAWi celebrating the achievements of South Africa’s top wines with laureates and guests welcomed at Longridge Wine Estate in Stellenbosch. This was indeed an historic occasion, considering the results which is setting a new quality benchmark for South African wines with no less than 10 wines achieving a perfect 100 points.

SA wine bottling industry in economic decline
10/08/2011 - 14:26
The Simondium bottling plant of FirstCape Vineyards, the biggest exporter of SA wine to the UK, stands idle, with 25 workers laid off.

How much is a bottle of wine really worth?
28/07/2011 - 09:12
The World’s most expensive bottle of white wine was recently purchased for £75,000 by a private collector by the name of Christian Vanneque. This rare bottle of white wine, an 1811 Chateau d’Yquem will be on display at Christian Vanneque’s restaurant, the SIP Sunset Grill in Bali, Indonesia, when this establishment opens in September.

Most expensive bottle of white wine ever sold for £75,000
27/07/2011 - 11:38
This is certainly a bottle of wine to save for a very special occasion. The precious bottle of 1811 Château d’Yquem today became the world's most valuable bottle of white wine, after it was sold for £75,000.

Backlash against SABMiller pay plan
22/07/2011 - 10:27
London - Brewer SABMiller suffered a backlash from investors when 16% of shareholders voting at the company's annual shareholder meeting opposed last year's pay awards to directors.

SABMiller beer volumes rise
22/07/2011 - 10:18
London - Brewer SABMiller reported a rise in first-quarter beer volumes led on continued growth in emerging markets, but kept the market guessing if it will sweeten its bid for Australia's Fosters.

Government backs new wine tourism Vindaba to boost SA tourism
14/07/2011 - 15:28
As the National Tourism Sector Strategy works towards positioning South Africa as one of the world’s top 20 travel destinations by 2020, key stakeholders in wine and tourism are uniting to present the country’s first specialist wine tourism exhibition, Vindaba.

Alcohol ad ban would cost jobs and revenue: analyst
07/07/2011 - 10:41
A complete ban on alcohol advertising will result in a total loss of revenue, including sponsorship, sports development leveraging, events and below the line activities, of R2.6 billion, a preliminary impact study has found.

SABMiller and Foster's can benefit – Moody's
29/06/2011 - 09:19
SABMiller’s A$9.5 billion (R68.4bn) takeover offer for Foster's Group would benefit both companies' earnings and help them cut costs if a deal was completed, Moody's Investors Service said yesterday.

Investec punts SABMiller despite Foster's bid
28/06/2011 - 12:08
London - Investec Securities recommended buying shares in SABMiller [JSE:SAB] on Tuesday as it became one of the first brokers to see the positive in its bid for Australian beermaker Foster’s Group.

SAB awarded for water care efforts - Top honours for 2nd consecutive year
27/06/2011 - 12:29
The South African Breweries Limited's (SAB) progressive efforts to conserve water have been acknowledged for a second consecutive year during the annual Mail and Guardian Greening the Future Awards, held in Hyde Park, Johannesburg, yesterday.

Foster’s rejects SABMiller offer
21/06/2011 - 12:42
Foster’s Group on Tuesday rejected a non-binding, conditional proposal from the world’s second-largest brewer, SABMiller .

SABMiller share falls as Foster’s bid rejected
21/06/2011 - 00:00
JOHANNESBURG - The SABMiller share price dropped R8.40 or 3.5% to R234.70 hours after the board of Foster’s, the iconic Australian brewer, rejected SABMiller’s A$11.2bn bid.

Amarula's secret recipe revealed
09/06/2011 - 09:48
Cape Town - Distell’s secret regarding the composition of its Amarula Cream liqueur is out and there is speculation that the liqueur’s image could suffer in the eyes of consumers.

Old Mutual Trophy Wine Show 2001 Awards - An Unsurprising Surprise
06/06/2011 - 15:06
In the most closely contested race since the inaugural event in 2002, Spier edged ahead of Thelema Mountain Vineyards to take the Fairbairn Capital Trophy for the Top Producer at the 2011 Old Mutual Trophy Wine Show.

brandhouse Responsible Drinking Media Awards winners announced
06/06/2011 - 14:28
The winners of the 2011 brandhouse Responsible Drinking Media Awards were announced at a cocktail reception ceremony at the Radisson Blu Gautrain Hotel in Sandton, Johannesburg on Wednesday (1 June) evening.

SABMiller sells stake in Kenya Breweries
06/06/2011 - 07:58
Johannesburg - SABMiller on Monday announced that its subsidiary SABMiller Africa has agreed to sell its 20% shareholding in Kenya Breweries to East African Breweries for about $225m in cash.

SAB denies MEC’s licences claim
02/06/2011 - 13:03
SOUTH African Breweries (SAB), the local unit of SABMiller , has expressed concern about comments by Gauteng economic development MEC Qedani Mahlangu on the sale of liquor to unlicensed outlets, saying it does not sell liquor to people who do not have licences, as she claimed in a press briefing on Tuesday.

Best of wine tourism awards open on new wave of optimism
27/05/2011 - 09:31
New Government backing for South African wine tourism, Cape Town’s selection as the top city in the Travelers’ Choice Destination by the world’s largest travel site, TripAdvisor, and the inclusion of three Cape restaurants on the 2011 S.Pellegrino World’s 100 Best Restaurants list were all great news for local wineries, said industry spokesperson André Morgenthal.

SABMiller’s profit floats higher on strong volume growth
20/05/2011 - 10:24
SABMiller’s South African subsidiary, SAB, posted strong results in the year to March as both lager and soft drink volumes increased and a new business strategy launched in 2009 gained traction.

Emerging markets boost SABMiller
19/05/2011 - 11:22
London - Strong growth in the emerging markets of Africa, Asia and Latin America helped brewing giant SABMiller beat forecasts with a 19% rise in annual earnings while Europe and North America proved tougher.

Hong Kong is a bipolar market for wine, says expert on Asia
17/05/2011 - 08:25
Hong Kong is the Wall Street of Asia and the home of fine wine, deep pockets and big cellars, according to Debra Meiburg, a Master of Wine, international wine judge and consultant to producers trading in Asian markets.

A sobering thought
10/05/2011 - 16:12
The threat of a ban on alcohol advertising looms large – and has massive implication to our industry. Tanya Farber and Jeremy Daniel investigate.

Cape wine masters graduate
09/05/2011 - 15:03
Three new graduates have been awarded Diplomas as Cape Wine Masters at a ceremony being hosted by Lourensford Estate in Somerset West on Friday, May 6.

Self-taught winemaker wins Van Ryn's award for Brandy excellence
09/05/2011 - 08:56
Newly graduated Cape Wine Master (CMW) Mary-Lou Nash is the 2011 winner of the Van Ryn’s Award for Brandy Excellence, achieving the highest score in the section of the Cape Wine Academy’s Cape Wine Masters’ examination, devoted to brandy.

Distell’s amazing legal battle to save tax on Amarula
05/05/2011 - 17:11
LIQUOR giant Distell waged — and lost — a four-year legal battle to avoid paying higher excise duty on its flagship liqueur Amarula after it was classified as a spirit-based drink, rather than a wine-based one, court documents show.

SABMiller finance chief to retire
04/05/2011 - 11:11
London - Global brewer SABMiller [JSE:SAB] said its Chief Financial Officer Malcolm Wyman would retire at end-August to be replaced by internal candidate James Wilson, which is likely to throw the spotlight on when Chief Executive Graham Mackay decides to retire.

SAB questions authority of regulator
06/04/2011 - 00:00
PRETORIA — The world has changed for antitrust regulators in SA and the Competition Tribunal had to recognise that, South African Breweries (SAB) said yesterday as it argued for the regulator to set aside the complaint referred to it by the Competition Commission.