E-Malt.com News article: 3396

South Africa: Anheuser-Busch, the world's biggest brewer and producer of Budweiser, is to expand in South Africa beer market. It hopes to use its position as the official beer sponsor of the 2010 football world cup, to be held in South Africa, to bolster its position in the country, London's Sunday Telegraph revealed on October 3. Now Anheuser-Busch is negotiating with senior business figures in South Africa.

If Anheuser-Busch succeeds in South Africa it will present a major threat to SABMiller, the second-biggest brewer, formed when South African Breweries bought America's Miller Brewing in 2002, the paper commented. SAB has a 97 % share of the beer market in South Afica and last year 27 per cent of its profits came from sales in the country. A SABMiller spokesman reflected the companies' rivalry, scoffing at Anheuser-Busch's world cup sponsorship. "A warm weekend in Soweto would have more impact on beer consumption," he said.

“The two companies have been involved in a series of acrimonious disputes. In May, SABMiller, won a legal battle when a judge ordered Anheuser to stop saying in adverts that Miller lager is brewed by "South African Breweries", contrasting it with Anheuser-Busch's own American image,” Sunday Telegraph said.

Anheuser-Busch is employing a similar tactic in China where it is the official beer sponsor of the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. Anheuser-Busch launched a fresh advertising campaign calling its Budweiser the "King of Beers" and dubbing Miller lager "the Queen of Carbs" in the US, where low-carbohydrate beers have been popular.


05 October, 2004