06-05-2025
Forever Committed: For 130 Years, SAB's Legacy Is South Africa's Story
In a country as complex and extraordinary as South Africa, few companies can say their history is bound as tightly to the nation's progress as ours. 130 years ago, South Africa was a land of possibility, booming with gold, bursting with change, and bracing for a new century. That same year, in 1895, a brewer named Charles Glass started something small in Johannesburg that would go on to become something much bigger: a business rooted in South African soil, shaped by South African people, and built to serve South African communities.
South African Breweries (SAB) is part of the nation's economic and cultural DNA. But this isn't just a story about a company, it's about what happens when a business grows with a country, not just in it. From the early days, brewing wasn't just about beer, it was about building something sustainable. Today, 95% of what we produce is locally sourced. That means value chains that run deep into the heart of South African agriculture, logistics, small businesses and local suppliers. It means jobs, with one in every 66 supported by the beer industry. It means platforms for entrepreneurs, ladders for upward mobility, and consistent investment in infrastructure and innovation. This is what it looks like when an industry is built for inclusion.
Of course, the real test of commitment isn't in the good times, it's in the hard ones. SAB stayed when others left. We invested when others paused. In the 1980s and early 1990s, as the country faced its most pivotal political and social shifts, we took action. We empowered Owner-Drivers. We created jobs. We diversified our leadership. We used our fleet to deliver ballot papers in 1994's first democratic elections, because playing a role in history is part of our responsibility.
Representation wasn't just something we added to our advertisement, it was something we believed in from the start. Our brands have championed South Africa's diversity, passion, and spirit long before it was expected, and long after it became the norm. From sponsoring Bafana Bafana and the Springboks at critical national moments to celebrating the everyday heroes who make our country what it is, we've stood not just beside South Africa, but inside it.
Innovation has been a constant, not just in our products but in how we think. We were the first to launch a low-alcohol beer, the first with flavoured beer, the first with an alcohol-free option. Today, brands like Brutal Fruit and Flying Fish are reaching beyond our borders. They carry with them the message that local excellence can lead globally.
But our impact isn't measured only in bottles brewed or brands built. It's in how we show up when it matters. South Africa faces real challenges: youth unemployment, social inequality, gender-based violence, erosion of trust in institutions. Businesses can't afford to be bystanders. Our initiatives, like the SAB Foundation and SAB Sharp, are aimed squarely at helping build a more inclusive, responsible future. Supporting small businesses. Empowering women. Changing behaviour around harmful alcohol use. Because growth without accountability isn't real growth.
Looking forward, we understand that legacy isn't something you inherit, it's something you earn, every day. In how you treat people. In how you partner with communities. In how you build towards progress, even when the path is difficult.
So, what does 130 years really mean? It means we've been around long enough to know that words matter, but actions matter more. That real change doesn't come from standing at the centre of the story, but from helping write a better one, together.
SAB is not just part of South Africa's past. We're part of what comes next. A more inclusive economy. A more responsible society. A more united country. We're not just raising a glass to where we've been. We're investing in where we're going.
Author: Zoleka Lisa
