Beer in South Africa - Modern Day

Modern Day

Today, South African Breweries (SAB) controls the vast majority of the South African beer market, and with the notable exception of imported brands such as Heineken, Guinness and others, SAB owns and produces all the major brands in the country, as well as owning Miller's Genuine Draft (American), Peroni, Pilsner Urquell and long list of others which makes it the world's second largest brewery. Their most popular and valuable brand is Carling Black Label, which is the most awarded beer in the country with 20 prestigious international beer awards to its name. They also produce Castle milk stout, Hansa Pilsner, Castle Lager and Castle Lite.

Most beer drunk in South Africa is lager, as the hot climate favours cold drinks. Ales are very rare and are only made by small breweries or imported.

Jo'burg beer, an independent business and low-priced beverage, is dominant among lower-income groups, and incorporates the tastes of traditional brewing.

A number of smaller microbreweries have sprung up in the past decades, and these tend to compete regionally. The largest of these is Mitchell's Brewery in Knysna; another is Shongweni Brewery near Durban producing Robsons bottle conditioned beers unique to South Africa. Another unique brewery is Mogallywood Brewery close to Magaliesburg that brews cask-conditioned real ale served from a cask without additional nitrogen or carbon dioxide pressure.

Other microbreweries in South Africa include:

Cape:

• Boston Breweries;
• Dieu Donne;
• Jack Black;
• Mitchells Brewery;
• Darling Brew;
• Napier Brewery;
• Birkenhead Brewery;
• Paulaner Brewery;
• Luyt Breweries;
• The Brewery (Nieu Bethesda);
• Triggerfish Brewing;
• Sneeuberg Brewery;
• Gallows Hill Brewing Company;
• Royal Mzansi;
• Bierwerk (Afrikan Ales);
• Devil's Peak Brewing;
• Saggy Stone Brewing Company;
• Valley Brewery;
• Honingklip;
• Barrique Brewery / The Village Brewery;

KZN:

• The Nottingham Rd Brewing Company;
• Shongweni Brewery;
• Zululand Brewing Company;
• Mullerbrau;
• Ivan's Brewing;
• Porcupine Quill Brewery;
• Muntinzini Brewery;
• Three Skulls Brewery;

Inland:

• Anvil Ale;
• Black Horse Brewery;
• Hops Hollow;
• Irish Ale House;
• The Cockpit Brewhouse;
• Draymans Brewery;
• Gilroys;
• De Garve Brewery;
• Clarens Brewery;
• Mogallywood;
• Copperlake Breweries;
• Agars Brewery;
• Dog and Fig Brewery;
• Madship Brewing;
• Pilansberg Craft Brewery;
• Flat Dog Shed;

Namibia:

• Camelthorn Brewery;

Others:

• Little Brewery in Port Alfred, Eastern Cape;
• Tonder Brewery in Broederstroom, North West Province;
• Tweedronk Brewery in Nelspruit, Mpumalanga;
• Mogallywood BrewPub in Maanhaarrand 16 km from Magaliesburg, North West Province;

Other commonly drunk beers in South Africa is Windhoek Lager, a beer from Namibia made according to the Reinheitsgebot, as well as Tafel Lager, another Namibian import.