Yesterday, the multinational brewer said it had gained approval for the re-zoning of 7.2 hectares of land in Okahanjda where the brewery will be built and expects the land transfer to occur in the next few weeks.
The brewery will be designed to accommodate future growth and capacity expansion, while SAB also plans to invest in a returnable bottle packaging line and warehousing facilities.
SAB Managing Director, Mauricio Leyva, said: “The local brewery will not only enable us to make more of our key brands available to consumers in the Namibian market, but it will also make a meaningful contribution to the Namibian economy once it is up and running.
He added: “Jobs will be created, our environmental impact on the country will be reduced as we shift to returnable bottles and we will build on our existing programmes to uplift the local community.”
SABMiller estimates that it has a 22% market share in Namibia, having imported beers from South Africa to service the local market for more than two decades.
Popular brands including Castle Lager, Carling Black Label and Castle Lite will all be brewed on the new site in Okahanjda.
SABMiller Namibia is 60% owned by SAB Ltd and 40% by local Namibian partners comprising 20% Onyewu Investments (Pty) Ltd and 20% by three charitable trusts for the benefit of local communities.