Photo: Gary Wium
To mark its 130th anniversary, South African Breweries (SAB) hosted a ‘Cheers to Farmers’ event on 17 September in Taung, North West, recognising the role of local farmers in powering the country’s beer value chain.
According to SAB, South Africa’s beer industry has had a significant impact on the country’s farming economy, contributing over R2,2 billion to the agricultural GDP and supporting more than 38 000 jobs nationwide.
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The company had invested more than R650 million in agricultural development in the country, “ensuring that beer brewed in South Africa is made from natural, locally sourced ingredients while supporting inclusive growth by empowering communities across the country”, it said in a press release.
Supporting farmers and communities
Speaking at the event, Kyle Day, vice-president of procurement and sustainability for Africa at AB InBev, emphasised the commitment SAB had made to empowering local communities.
He added that 95% of the raw materials the company purchased, particularly barley, came from South African farmers.
“Every year, we work with 500 farmers. Of these, the small-scale farmers receive direct hands-on support,” Day added.
“What we mean by that is that we have research and development centres in Caledon [in the Western Cape] and Hartswater [in the Northern Cape] where we train agronomists with the critical skills and protocols to ensure we increase the yields on crops we plant across the country.”
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In Taung, specifically, from 2022 to 2024, an average of 50 farmers were involved in the SAB programme and delivered 8 000t of high-quality malting barley, Day said.
“This year, 4 000t will be harvested from 62 farmers [in Taung],” he added.
In the greater area, according to the SAB press release, farmers delivered 17 400t of barley during the past season, with an average yield of 4,9t/ha.
Day went on to thank the farmers for their efforts and hard work in continuously producing high-quality raw materials. He added that SAB would continue to pour its resources into education and mechanisation.
“[These are useful] tools that lead to increased yields, which allow our farmers to increase their revenue and support their communities and children.”
Partnerships and recognition
He also thanked SAB’s partners: “We cannot do this alone. We collaborate with the Department of Agriculture, provincial government, the National Agricultural Marketing Council [NAMC], the South African Cultivar & Technology Agency, and local leaders and partners like FarmSol. [These] partnerships unlock much-needed resources across the country that enable agriculture to thrive.”
With these resources, 80 farmers in the greater Taung area planted more than 2 140ha of land, strengthening agricultural productivity in the region, SAB said. The programme had also created and sustained 292 jobs.
Dr Simphiwe Ngqangweni, CEO of the NAMC, who also spoke at the event, said South Africa’s agricultural success rested on collaboration and innovation.
“The long-term commitment to research and development we witnessed today, including the introduction of new barley varieties and advanced mechanisation support, is helping farmers increase productivity while staying competitive in global markets.
“Beyond delivering tons of grain, our farmers are ensuring food security, economic growth, and opportunities for young people and women in agriculture,” he said.
Day added that SAB’s success was tied to farmers across the country: “Our value chain and supply chain – from seed to glass – is becoming more inclusive, which leads to resilience. We have been around for 130 years and plan to be here for much longer!
“Raise a glass to farmers across the country – the heart of the country’s future. We hope your hard work continues to nourish the land and inspire generations to come. Cheers to our farmers!”
Top farmers awarded
During the event, SAB also named the winners of its annual awards in partnership with FarmSol. Best Barley Farmer of the Year went to Gaosirwe Johannes Thejane, who achieved the highest yield among SAB’s growers with 8,6t/ha.
Tshidiso Farmer Co-op won Best Farmer Co-operative for being the most profitable farmer co-operative in SAB’s stable, and Best Female Farmer of the Year went to Smous Dorcas Madithole for achieving the highest yield for a woman farmer in SAB’s stable.
Frank Smous, a Tshidiso Farmer Co-op producer, told Farmer’s Weekly that working with SAB and FarmSol had been invaluable for the co-op.
“We didn’t have financial security; the banks were rejecting us. Working with SAB and FarmSol has allowed us to plant,” he explained.
Smous added that the co-op ran more than 10ha, with farmers achieving average yields of between 7t/ha and 8t/ha.
