SA’s craft breweries are on the rise and on the tourist map
Small, artisanal breweries are growing apace in SA — there are currently about 200 of them — but can they stay afloat alongside the behemoth of SAB?
"We’ve got plans to export to the US," grins Luca Tooley who co-owns the Zwakala craft brewery in Limpopo. "Hopefully, within the next two to three weeks, we’ll be sending a full pallet of beer over," he adds, standing outside his brewhouse, overlooking the river that provides the crystal-clear water for his ales. SA is renowned worldwide for its wine exports but has fallen far behind the craze for craft beers that came of age in the US before exploding in Britain, Germany and elsewhere. The beer market is dominated by South African Breweries (SAB), which is better known for its affordable lagers. More than four out of five beers sold in the country are made by SAB, but a growing number of craft brewers are pushing to put their creations into the hands of drinkers in SA and beyond. Craft ales are distinguished from mass-market lagers by their more artisanal manufacturing process, smaller production runs and innovative flavours. Market analysts Grand View Research estimates the globa...
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