The South African Beer Market Is Sudsing Over

South Africans are enthusiastic beer drinkers, with per capita consumption expected to reach 60 liters this year compared to a mere 14 liters in 1970. Traditionally, South African brewers have favored sorghum-based beer. However, in common with much of the rest of the world, consumers have begun enjoying other varieties, and consumption there has shifted from sorghum-based beer toward Western-style beers, also known as "clear beer."

South Africa enjoys a well-developed domestic beer industry, based somewhat on imported raw materials. During 1996, South Africa imported over 111,000 tons of barley malt, worth over $40 million, of which the United States supplied over half. In addition, the country also imports barley malt extract, hops cones and a very small amount of hops extract.

Many of the ingredients are imported, mainly from Europe. Hops are grown domestically, and are used in local production. Barley is produced locally as well as imported and malted in neighboring Zimbabwe and Tanzania for use in South Africa's brewing industry.

The South African beer market goes far beyond domestic bottled and canned brews for immediate consumption. In 1996, imports amounted to 80,715 hectoliters, about one-tenth of the export total. More than a quarter of that comes from the Netherlands.

With rising incomes and better transportation, South Africans are experimenting with different types of beer from that produced locally, and imported beers have become an attractive and lucrative market for many producers.

During 1996, South Africa imported $6.6 million worth of beer from different sources, including the United States, while exporting close to $46 million worth.

South African Beer Imports, 1996
(hectoliters)
Netherlands	26,466	1
Ireland	15,091	2
United Kingdom	8,835	3
Mexico	7,461	4
United States	5,140	5
Zimbabwe	4,144	6
Germany	3,343	7
Australia	2,806	8
Denmark	1,763	9
Belgium	1,632	10

People have been brewing and drinking beer for close to 20 millennia, making beer one of the oldest and most familiar beverages on earth, and one that is available in a large number of types, styles and varieties.

Barley beer, most familiar to the West, probably had its origin in ancient Mesopotamia, but nearly every ancient culture has its own style and contents, based on locally grown ingredients.

Corn beer, rice beer, wheat beer, barley beer, bread beer, and sorghum beer all come readily to mind, and have in common a fermented grain base. However, beer can also be made from a long list of fermentable products--even including camel's milk.

Barley- to wheat-based, beer has foamed throughout human history, and may have been one of the reasons grains were domesticated in the first place.

Joseph Lopez is the Agricultural Attache and C. Harry Germishuis is an agricultural specialist in the Office of Agricultural Affairs, U.S. Embassy, Pretoria, South Africa. Tel.: (011-27-12) 342-1048; Fax: (011-27-12) 342-2264; Email: KotatiB@fas.usda.gov