Latest news with #SouthAfricanBreweries
The Citizen
4 days ago
- Business
- The Citizen
SAB shouts cheers to township retailers
South African Breweries (SAB) has invested R500m in supporting township and informal economy retailers since 2021, part of its wider strategy to drive inclusive economic development across South Africa. The milestone was celebrated on August 4 at SAB's Bryanston offices through the Cheers to Retailers event, recognising the role of small retailers in sustaining South Africa's beer value chain. With 95% of SAB's production inputs sourced locally, the sector contributes 1.4% to national GDP. Read more: SAB launches SAB Sharp campaign in Bryanston 'Retailers are the backbone of our industry,' said SAB CEO Richard Rivett-Carnac. 'They create jobs, stimulate township economies, and build community networks.' Rivett-Carnac added that, as they mark 130 years of SAB, this is about honouring those who have helped build them from the ground up. Gauteng chief director for economic development Crezelda Venter praised the role of informal businesses in job creation and resilience. 'These are not just shops; they are grassroot drivers of innovation, adapting to load-shedding, using digital tools, and responding to community needs.' Venter added that SAB's investment focuses on infrastructure support, compliance training, and business development through its SAB sharp platform. 'The responsible trading programme, part of this initiative, has trained and accredited over 32 000 retailers under a tiered system: silver (regulatory compliance), gold (responsible sales practices), and platinum (community safety champions).' She pointed out that retailers, like Lungile Gama, who's been with SAB for over three decades, are examples of this transformation. Gama said, as she collected her award: 'My tavern was informal and basic, but with SAB's help, I have built a compliant, job-creating business that's a cornerstone of my neighbourhood.' Follow us on our Whatsapp channel, Facebook, X, Instagram and TikTok for the latest updates and inspiration!
IOL News
5 days ago
- Business
- IOL News
Zoleka Lisa on steering SAB through booze bans while driving impact and growth
Zoleka Lisa, Vice President, Corporate Affairs, South African Breweries (SAB). Image: Supplied Zoleka Lisa is VP of Corporate Affairs at South African Breweries (SAB), where she oversees public policy, communications, stakeholder relations, entrepreneurship, and social impact. She moved from a senior role at Accenture into the alcohol industry to influence economic development and social initiatives on a national scale. Lisa has led SAB through major challenges, including complex COVID-19 alcohol bans, and is committed to mentoring emerging leaders, promoting responsible business, and driving inclusive growth across South Africa. What first inspired you to do what you do – and what was the moment that changed everything for you? My journey has always been fueled by curiosity, a relentless desire to understand the forces shaping our world and society. Growing up in a home that prioritised education, resilience, empathy, and purpose, I learned early on the value of discipline and kindness from my parents and grandmother. While I didn't have a specific dream career in mind, these values laid the foundation for my leadership journey. The pivotal moment came when I transitioned from a senior role at Accenture to the South African Breweries. That leap from management consulting to an industry that touches everyday lives enabled me to directly influence economic development, entrepreneurship, and social impact on a large scale, giving my work deeper meaning. What's the biggest challenge you've faced on your journey, and how did you push through it? One of the most critical challenges was navigating the COVID-19 pandemic shortly after being promoted to Vice President of Corporate Affairs. We faced complex alcohol bans that threatened the sustainability of our entire value chain, impacting livelihoods across the industry. Balancing government policy objectives with protecting workers and entrepreneurs required immense resilience, strategic dialogue, and collaboration. I could have stepped back, but instead I leaned into tenacity, surrounding myself with strong leaders and mentors to guide us through. That experience reinforced the importance of perseverance, agility, and compassionate leadership in crisis. What achievement are you most proud of, the one that still makes you smile when you think about it? I am deeply proud of leading a passionate team of change agents who are transforming how the industry engages with society. Together, we have driven impactful initiatives that uplift communities, promote responsible consumption, and foster entrepreneurship. Equally rewarding is mentoring emerging leaders—especially women—who have found their voices, seized opportunities, and gone on to lead with confidence. Seeing those individuals thrive and make their mark is a source of great joy and pride for me. 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Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad loading What makes your role or career path different or special in South Africa? My role sits at the intersection of business growth, social impact, and national development, a unique vantage point in South Africa's complex landscape. As Vice President at SAB, I oversee public policy, communications, stakeholder relations, entrepreneurship, and social impact portfolios, which are central to how we build meaningful, responsible relationships with society. This position enables me to influence policies that support local industries, embed shared values into our growth, and contribute to transformative initiatives that resonate beyond business metrics. Serving on industry and community boards allows me to champion change that benefits the broader South African economy and society. How do you think the work you do is making a difference – whether in your industry, your community, or for other women? I believe in creating opportunities where people, especially women and youth, can flourish and thrive. Through SAB and the SAB Foundation, we invest in agriculture, entrepreneurship, and social upliftment to ensure inclusive growth. This work is about more than business; it's about empowering communities and nurturing leaders who will shape South Africa's future. I am deeply inspired by the resilience and tenacity of women who overcome adversity daily, and mentoring them to find their leadership voices is one of the most fulfilling parts of my role. What's the one piece of advice you'd give to a young woman who dreams of following a similar path? Make yourself proud. In large organisations, it's easy to get lost trying to please everyone or meet endless expectations. Instead, focus on your own goals, build a clear career plan, and identify supporters and sponsors who believe in your potential. Lean into that network and, most importantly, show up for yourself every day, through your work, your learning, and your leadership. Your journey is yours to own, and success is measured by how true you stay to your values and ambitions. Who's been the biggest influence or mentor in your career? My greatest influences have been my family, especially my parents and grandmother, who taught me discipline, resilience, and the power of education. They provided the emotional and moral compass that guides me today. Beyond family, I find inspiration in African changemakers, many of whom are not public figures but community leaders demonstrating unwavering commitment to development, women's empowerment, and social justice. Their courage and values constantly motivate me to lead with purpose. What's one myth about your job or industry you'd love to clear up? Many assume the alcohol industry only fuels irresponsible drinking or that our work is all about parties. In reality, we invest heavily in educating consumers about moderation and responsibility because lives and livelihoods depend on it. Like any business, our days are filled with deadlines, strategic planning, public policy engagement, and financial analysis to ensure our impact is meaningful and lasting. If you could give yourself one piece of advice, what would it be? Trust your own voice and show up for yourself and your team unapologetically. Finding my authentic voice and leadership style has been a journey of embracing all parts of myself, whether it's being a supermom at home, a dedicated leader at work, or showing up with my all-stars, my blue (and sometimes blonde) hair in boardrooms. Through this authenticity, I've created a space where diverse voices are genuinely heard and valued. Leadership isn't about fitting into a mould; it's about leaning into your strengths, committing to continuous learning, and fostering environments that empower others to do the same. When leaders show up unapologetically, being self-aware and embracing their unique journeys, they inspire confidence and courage, not only in themselves but in everyone around them, building stronger, more inclusive teams and communities. When you think back to the subjects you chose in high school or what you studied afterwards, did you ever imagine you'd end up where you are today – and how did that journey unfold? I often laugh and say I was definitely more of a nerdy 'thank you, professor' type than someone who was cool, but deeply curious about how the world worked and why. When I went to university, I studied Environmental Science and Economics, fields that gave me a broad perspective on how complex systems operate. Early in my career, I focused heavily on strategy and consulting, working with top global companies like Accenture. That foundation in problem-solving and business acumen has been invaluable. Now, as Head of Corporate Affairs for South African Breweries, I truly feel I've come full circle in my journey. Along the way, I pursued executive development programs at the London School of Economics and Stanford, which sharpened my strategic thinking and leadership skills. Today, I'm able to apply everything I'm passionate about, strategy, socio-economic insight, and geopolitical understanding, to work that is both meaningful and impactful. This blend of experiences, combined with deeply held values, has shaped me not just as a leader but also as a mother and a person. It's a journey I hope to continue paying forward by mentoring others and contributing to the growth of the next generation of leaders. IOL
Daily Maverick
5 days ago
- Health
- Daily Maverick
The hidden costs of SAB's legacy on SA's most vulnerable communities
South African Breweries (SAB) recently purchased space in Daily Maverick to publish sponsored content, beginning with a piece appropriately titled '130 Years, SAB's Legacy Is South Africa's Story'. It's true: South Africa's story is closely interwoven with SAB's legacy as a South African alcohol producer and marketer, but it begs the question: Which parts of their legacy and our story are they proudest of? Let us consider a few. We have the world's highest rate of Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD), with an average of 11 out of every 100 children born with this condition, and in some communities this rate goes up to 28% of children. Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder describes physical, behavioural and learning conditions that can occur in persons who were exposed to alcohol while in the womb. Depending on the severity, they are at risk of experiencing every challenge that makes it harder to grow up and be a useful, contributing member of our society. They are typically a burden to their mothers, families, teachers and peers. They risk dropping out of school, engaging in antisocial and criminal behaviour and of experiencing lifelong problems with substance abuse and addiction. Alcohol stunts and damages growing brains. There is no safe amount of alcohol to consume during pregnancy. Unplanned pregnancy Pregnant girls and women typically admit to drinking in the first three months of unexpected pregnancy, before they know that they are pregnant. In many instances, foetal alcohol effects are associated with teenage and unplanned pregnancy. Children who become pregnant are often engaged in illegal, underage drinking. Alcohol causes a loss of inhibitions. It is harder to make good decisions when drinking or drunk, and this increases vulnerability to opportunistic sexual advances or sexual violence. Alcohol warnings on packaging don't extend to girls and women who may be sexually active and not on contraception. Is this the legacy that SAB is proud to share with South Africa? They claim in the same sponsored content that they do good work to minimise some of these problems. Let us be clear, this is no more than a version of the arsonist firefighter, who sets the fire and then wants to be hailed a hero for putting it out. As is the case with fires, Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder is much easier to ignite than to douse. Recent studies estimate that alcohol contributes to 80% of deaths of young men in South Africa. We often refer to interpersonal and gender-based violence in South Africa as a 'hidden pandemic'. Alcohol is associated with almost all such incidents. The social and economic cost to the criminal justice system, the health system and other government programmes is overwhelming, with estimates of actual costs being between 8 and 10% of GDP. Is it this bit that SAB is proudest of? Or is it the link between alcohol, road crashes and deaths, including those of drunk pedestrians? Or the relationship between alcohol and sexually transmitted diseases? Or is that SAB's profitability partially depends on binge drinking? A total of 70% of in-school teenagers self-report that they have participated in binge drinking. Or that their brilliant innovations teach children to normalise a taste for alcohol, knowing that the younger they start, the more likely they are to binge drink as teenagers and to go on to have troubled relationships with alcohol, some for the rest of their lives? Or that 13% of all deaths in South Africa have a direct link to alcohol consumption? SAB has over time used our sporting heroes (the 'brand behind our boys' — and now our girls and women too), our national flag, and even the 'rain down in Africa', to advertise and associate itself with the aspirations of our young people, notably now girls, who have always tended to lag behind boys in consumption. SAB can afford to, when many others cannot, because it has made its products desirable and accessible to young people and new drinkers. While it is estimated that fewer than 40% of South African adults drink alcohol, those who do are the most prolific in Africa and are right up there with the world's biggest consumers of alcohol. The majority of drinkers drink beer. Many drinkers are dependent on alcohol and are customers for life. SAB has very publicly associated itself with and sponsored our law enforcement agencies in carefully worded 'don't drink and drive' campaigns, as though the only harm associated with alcohol is behind the steering wheel, thus implicitly encouraging the idea that it doesn't matter if you get drunk and commit acts of indecency, impropriety, violence or dangerous stupidity; just as long as you don't drive. Harsh reality It has massive billboards at our airports, on our roads and in our townships. Sadly, research and the harsh reality about alcohol are neither as attractive nor as addictive as SAB's products. While it is by no means only in poor communities that we see the impact of alcohol on individuals, families, businesses, community wellbeing and society as a whole, it is often the stories of the poor that are the most honest and heartbreaking. Stories about failure, neglect and abuse — and of deprivation of children where more disposable income is spent on alcohol than on staples and school shoes. SAB is dependent on these drinkers for its success. We are a society that struggles with an economy that is at best fragile. We need to spend a lot less on alcohol. To achieve this, we need much stricter policies and regulations about price, distribution, advertising and marketing to counter the powerful alcohol lobby. For the child born with severe foetal alcohol syndrome today, to a mother who didn't want her and cannot support her, and for her family and community, it is too late to make a difference. But for our collective future, it isn't too late. It is easy to understand why the alcohol industry lobby is so powerful, and why SAB continues to thrive, with its massive advertising, marketing and promotional spend, selling aspirations to a society in which the majority do not thrive. The reality that debunks the aspirational myths is there for all to see, but it's not a pretty picture, not a comfortable one, not one on which it is easy to dwell. We, the people of South Africa, should, however, not allow ourselves to be lulled into accepting that this is the best we can be; a by-product of a narrative written by SAB, with its legacy of profit and gain at the expense of the most vulnerable. DM
The Citizen
7 days ago
- Business
- The Citizen
How cheap alcohol keeps hurting SA's poorest
The alcohol industry profits while heavy drinking causes widespread harm in poor South African communities. Recent comments by the South African Breweries (SAB) CEO Richard Rivett-Carnac, reported in Business Day, that minimum unit pricing for alcohol will punish the poor and turbocharge the illicit market, harming both the industry and public safety, must be challenged by fact. The fact is that the legal liquor industry is a major contributor to injury, disease and death in South Africa. Alcohol is a factor in about half of all homicides, traffic accidents and gender-based violence in this country. If the results of the SAB study into illicit alcohol are true – that illegal trade represents about a fifth of the total market – that still means that legally manufactured alcohol contributes up to four-fifths of the total alcohol harm in South Africa. The major damage is not occasional death from the wrong chemicals in illicit brews, but widespread harm from heavy drinking of all liquor products – whether they're legal or not. If the upper daily limit of what could be regarded as 'responsible drinking' is two standard drinks per drinker then, on average, drinkers consume 2½ times more than this and most of the excess is manufactured by the companies that now appeal to public safety as a reason not to introduce minimum unit pricing. ALSO READ: Saps probes officers after video shows police offloading beer bottles at liquor store SAB undercuts its words with its actions. Just one of its one-litre bottles of Castle Lager contains enough pure alcohol to push a drinker's blood alcohol content well above the legal driving limit of 0.05%. Those bottles are sold 2½ times cheaper per litre than the equivalent amount in three 330ml containers. This price difference is so large that it cannot be due to cost-savings in the manufacturing process and suggests a deliberate design to promote excessive consumption. There is evidence from South Africa that bigger containers encourage people to drink more. It is the price of these larger containers that will be most affected by the introduction of a minimum price per unit of alcohol. We must challenge the assertion that minimum unit pricing will punish the poor. ALSO READ: KZN woman arrested for R120 000 illicit alcohol A 2018 study of alcohol-related mortality in South Africa found that the death rate from alcohol in poorer communities is 4½ times higher than wealthier ones. Many people in poorer communities drink to escape the hardships of daily life in the absence of recreational alternatives. High rates of misery make it far harder for a person to 'drink responsibly' than someone experiencing the good life. The alcohol industry capitalises on their misery, flooding their communities with large quantities of liquor at lower prices. It is this behaviour that punishes the poor, not the proposed introduction of minimum unit pricing. Where minimum unit pricing has been introduced in other countries like Scotland and Wales, it has achieved its aim of reducing the prevalence of heavy drinking, with positive health benefits for poorer consumers. ALSO READ: Mlindo The Vocalist releases his long-awaited album on Mandela Day as a way of 'giving back' With the introduction of minimum unit pricing, there may be some growth of the illicit market, which could affect tax revenues but that must be dealt with in the same way that illicit cigarettes should be – with effective enforcement of a track-and-trace system from the point of production to the point of sale. However, the liquor industry's claim of massive growth in illicit sales is dubious, given that legal alcohol sales have grown substantially over the past decade. There is no evidence of significant erosion of the market. The role of extra taxation of the liquor and tobacco industries is to make them pay for the damages they cause to society. Government should not be confused by perverse logic. If the liquor industry caused less harm to our society in the first place, Treasury would need less money to pay for its damages. NOW READ: Report reveals 1 in 5 alcoholic drinks are fake: Here's how to spot them
The Citizen
05-08-2025
- Business
- The Citizen
Cheers to township retailers
The South African Breweries (SAB) has poured over R500m into local retail empowerment since 2021, with over 32 000 liquor retailers trained and accredited through its Responsible Trading Programme (RTP). At a ceremony held at SAB's Bryanston headquarters on August 4, the company celebrated standout retailers across the country during its Cheers to Retailers event, marking 130 years of operations. Read more: Sandton City celebrates 50 years with a retail festival The gathering honoured the small businesses that form the heart of South Africa's beer economy. 'These entrepreneurs are not just selling beer, they are driving jobs, local development, and social cohesion,' said SAB CEO Richard Rivett-Carnac. He added that they are the real engine behind their growth. Gauteng chief director for Economic Development, Crezelda Venter, delivered a keynote address applauding the resilience and innovation of local traders. 'Retailers are reshaping the economy from the ground up.' With 95% of SAB's inputs sourced locally, the company continues to roll out infrastructure upgrades, compliance support, and business development initiatives through its SAB Sharp platform. Retailer Lungile Gama, who's partnered with SAB for 33 years, was among those honoured. 'What started as a small tavern is now a compliant and sustainable business. I now employ people from my community,' Gama said. Follow us on our Whatsapp channel, Facebook, X, Instagram and TikTok for the latest updates and inspiration!
