How this Entrepreneur is Revolutionising the Craft Beer Industry in South Africa
“I want to empower others because I was empowered myself.”
Apiwe Nxusani-Mawela, founder of Brewsters Craft
You may not have heard the name Apiwe Nxusani-Mawela before, but she is currently making waves in the craft beer industry - not only in her native South Africa but internationally. Having studied at both the University of Witwatersrand and the University of Pretoria, not only is she incredibly well educated but she is testament that a will to learn and a passion for your subject can help you seriously challenge industry stereotypes. Apiwe has gained national and international recognition for inspiring others and promoting proactive entrepreneurship.
The craft beer industry has become one of the fastest growing sectors in the last decade, with an estimated value of $38 billion and a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 14.1%. Therefore, it may not seem surprising that eager-eyed go-getters would seek to enter such a market, with the lucrative riches available for those who can grab some market share. Currently there are an estimated 19,000 brewery companies around the world, with craft brewing accounting for 94% of this number. Suffice it to say that the industry is no longer the sleeping giant it once was and is indeed here to say.
South Africa, or Africa in general is no stranger to seeing rapid growth; it is in fact the fastest growing beer market in the world. However, despite having 215 craft breweries in the country now, craft beer still only accounts for just under a 1% share of the beer market. This is due to the dominating monopoly held by South African Breweries (SAB), a subsidiary of multinational giant Anheuser-Busch.
Brewsters Craft’s Logo
As explained by Brendan Hart, the challenge for beer starts-ups in the country is the fact that “production costs can be around 10 times as high (for small scale breweries)… customers can pay twice as much for a custom brew.” In a nation where there is relatively low average incomes, trying to convince individuals to pay the extra premium is not an easy task.
This is the challenge Apiwe faced when making her own brewing company, the first black female owned brewing company in South Africa, named Brewsters Craft in 2015. Having worked for SAB for seven years, she decided to start her own company as her entrepreneurial instinct picked up on the growing industry, but also she stated “I wanted to celebrate my Africanism. I wanted to celebrate women in brewing because historically, we've been making the beers.“
A poster for Brewsters Craft’s Tolokazi range
This refers back to the country’s Xhosa and Zulu ethnicities, whereby women were in charge of brewing umqothi, a homemade beer made from maize malt, sorghum malt, yeast and water, often served at special occasions. Additionally, it alludes to “Shebeen Queens” - women who would let communities into their townships for umqothi and beers once non-whites had been banned from entering premises selling alcohol post-1927.
In the last 50 or so years, beer production has been dominated by males, seeking to profit from the growing trend of alcohol consumption in the country. Therefore, Brewsters Craft is not only a nod to the past, but perhaps more importantly, represents the opportunities to come for women in the country in the future. The rising influence of Apiwe has been clear to see. SAB asked Brewer’s Craft to produce Bold Brew, a beer brewed entirely by women to celebrate Women’s Month. In turn, this also inspired others around the continent to follow suit. For example, Peace Onwuchekwa is now the director of quality control at Nigeria’s Bature Brewing and has the crucial job of promoting craft beer to the city of Lagos. Furthermore Josephine Uwase and Deb Leatt are now brewer and chef respectively, at Rwanda’s Craft Brewery.
I for one feel such breakthroughs in the industry should be celebrated and I certainly can’t wait to taste one of Apiwe’s beers.
Written by Henry Pine-Coffin, aged 22 from London - Winner of The AASOA x Exeter ACS Engage in Africa Short Essay Prize.
Sources:
- https://oct.co/essays/black-female-craft-beer-brewers-south-africa
- https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-35120401
- https://www.fareway.com/about/news/12-reasons-craft-beer-is-on-the-rise
- https://www.beveragedaily.com/Article/2016/01/12/Africa-The-fastest-growing-beer-market
- https://www.unleashedsoftware.com/blog/global-craft-beer-industry-performance-the-ultimate-guide
- https://edition.cnn.com/2019/10/21/business/craft-breweries-rise-south-africa-intl/index.html
- https://www.cnandco.com/company-keep-apiwe-nxusani-mawela/