According to the South African Craft Brewers Association, there are more than 200 craft breweries in the country. There are now about 215 craft breweries, according to CBASA. For the younger generation, Castle Lite has become the most popular South African beer. This low-kilojoule, low-carb beer is crunchy with a slight bitterness and has a mild hoppy aroma.
Bantu beer was produced at a cost of approximately 8 to 10 cents per gallon and sold in bulk for about 20 cents, leaving municipalities with a gross profit of close to 10 to 12 cents per gallon, of which 2 cents are accrued to the Central Government as excise taxes. Its portfolio of beer brands meets the needs of a wide range of consumers and includes heritage-rich brands such as Castle Lager, Hansa Pilsener and Carling Black Label. Since the legalization of the supply of European liquor to the Bantu people in 1962, the sale of bantu beer by municipalities began to increase at a faster rate than before. Now, there are about 220 craft breweries in South Africa, according to the South African Craft Brewers Association (CBASA).
Umqombothi, from the Nguni languages (Xhosa and Zulu), is a traditional beer brewed in the Transkei, from corn (corn), corn malt, sorghum malt, yeast and water. Black Label is very popular among the black population and is often referred to as Zamalek, because it is considered a strong beer. The largest of them is Hansa Pilsner, which is a medium-bodied beer with a mild carbonation and the traditional malty flavor of a pilsner. Heineken has also expanded its portfolio of South African beers with the addition of low and non-alcoholic brands, such as Heineken 0.0, Windhoek Lite and Amstel Radler.
In Leipzig, Germany, a centuries-old brewery is preserved as a tourist attraction and its product is difficult to distinguish from Bantu beer. Of course, craft beers are best enjoyed locally, so the popularity of a beer can vary significantly from province to province, region to region. This figure still only represents about one percent of the entire beer industry in South Africa. A popular game that barmen like to play on Saturday afternoons, before the regular crowd shuffles, is to guess the main ingredients of the different types of alcohol (Vodka %3D potatoes, tequila %3D cactus), as well as which countries each brand of beer originates from.
Commercial establishments were particularly affected by the government ban on selling alcoholic beverages, as beers are the most popular drinks sold in bars and restaurants, especially in 500ml barrel units. Over the past twenty years, South Africa has seen a huge influx of smaller breweries producing different styles of beer. As the industry begins to recover from the alcohol ban, it is clear that actors such as The South African Breweries and Heineken will continue to focus on their non-alcoholic beer offerings to recover lost volume and value sales. Dutch and British immigrants contributed in different ways to the history of beer in South Africa.
