Beer has long been a love of South Africans ever since our ancestors first passed Umqombothi around.
That passion evolved when Charles Glass perfected his brew and began the SAB journey over 127 years ago. Over centuries as Africans, and for over a century as SAB, we have seen beer play a significant role in our culture and society.
It has become a part of who we are
Beer is a symbol of our connection to one another often uniting us beyond the very real issues that can so easily divide us. It is a symbol that celebrates all the special milestones in our lives, and it is the moments when we raise our glasses in a ‘cheers’ that speak both to the joy of making our individual and collective dreams come true, and the hope-filled articulation of the dreams and aspirations we have for the future. A future that we not only dream of but work hard to actualise.
Ultimately, we all want and truly deserve a future with more cheers.
And as beautiful as beer and its role is, at SAB, it’s always about more than beer.
We have taken the time to reimagine what a beer company can be and this is deeply embedded in our brand purpose – to actively and passionately demonstrate the unique power of beer to propel our beautiful country forward. That is our dream. And we are working hard through measurable programs and interventions to create a future that we can celebrate together as a nation.
SAB’s brand repositioning therefore is more than a logo redesign, or the launch of first brand film in over two decades – although I’ll have you know that our logo and our brand film are absolutely fantastic! This is an admittedly overdue reintroduction of SAB to South Africa, to articulate a dream that we have ignited from within with our inspiring leaders and passionate workforce; a dream that we are now inviting South Africa to share with us, and a journey of actualisation that we are committing to which is underpinned by three brand communication pillars:
1. SAB is fuelling the dreams that transform South Africa
We are dreaming big to create a bright future that harnesses the power of beer as a positive force for driving economic growth, job creation, empowerment and so much more through Beernomics.
2. We are dreaming big for a sustainable future
We are working towards our dream of a thriving future through a robust ESG strategy – aimed at ensuring climate resilience, water stewardship and an inclusive economic recovery led by entrepreneurship through SAB Beyond.
3. We have big dreams for a fully responsible nation
We dream of a future where all South Africans promote and practise responsible drinking – a dream we a achieve by investing in initiatives that both uplift and safeguard the lives of South Africans through SAB Sharp.
Ours is a dream I know and believe we will achieve.
South Africa, it is my honour and great joy to reintroduce you to SAB:
- A powerful contributor to South Africa’s economy
- A leader committed to powering ESG
- A champion of responsibility
- A company deeply in love with, rooted in, and committed to South Africa
- Dreaming big to create a future with more cheers
Sphe Vundla is the SAB Corporate Brand Director.
