The local beer industry is an extremely competitive one, not only because of the plethora of established beer brands, but also due to the rise of smaller, independently owned craft breweries. Amstel, part of the Heineken stable of beers, is a relatively small player in the SA beer market. According to Amstel marketing manager Khaya Dlanga, despite the growing popularity of craft beers and in the face of current market forces, Heineken brands are showing good growth. Differentiating Amstel in this highly cluttered space is about “standing out and owning what no-one else can,” he says. To this end Amstel has its own story, which has resonated with South Africans since the brand first arrived in the country from Amsterdam: “Slow brewed and extra matured”. The hallmark of the Amstel brand, when it was initially produced in Amsterdam, was the production of a better beer. “If making a beer taste better meant brewing it for longer, that is what we needed to do – and have continued to do,” ...
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