South Africa: SABMiller ready to meet increased demand for beer during World Cup

The South African Breweries (SAB), SABMiller plc's South African subsidiary, said on March, 2 it anticipates a 4-6% increase in demand for beer over the five week World Cup period.

The company said it was finalising detailed plans to make certain that the country is well stocked and supplied.

Through its flagship brand, Castle Lager, which is the premier sponsor of Bafana Bafana, SAB will rally South Africans to get behind their national team in the run up to the tournament and beyond. A series of Castle initiatives will be unveiled in the lead up to the tournament, aimed at building national pride and bringing to life the spirit of the host country. Once the tournament begins, Castle Lager will give visiting fans a taste of true South African hospitality, SABMiller said.

Alastair Hewitt, SAB Ltd's Marketing Manager for 2010 said: "While it's difficult to predict how much extra beer will be consumed, we estimate at this stage that we will sell an additional 17.6 million pints of beer during the five week World Cup period. This is over and above the normal consumption during June and July. Our plans are in place to accommodate this increase, so football fans can relax, there will be plenty of beer."

03 March, 2010