SAB moves beyond beer by venturing into Gin and Tonic with Black Crown – an Unapologetically African Gin & Tonic
Following decades of producing some of the world’s finest beers, SAB recently introduced ZX Ventures, an innovation hub, with a focus on products beyond beer. In 2019, ZX Ventures ventured into the gin and tonic space by launching Unapologetically African Black Crown Gin & Tonic. The brand was borne in Gauteng, in a small base of outlets, has since grown from strength to strength and is now available nationwide. General Manager for Black Crown, Claudia Schmid, says working on the innovation reminded her of an important quote by Francis of Assisi, which said, “Start by doing what’s necessary, then do what’s possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible”.
Black Crown proudly gives you access to the finest African crafted premium gin and tonic. The proudly South African Black Crown Gin & Tonic is produced locally and has subtle bursts of citrus aroma with a tantalizing sweet, crisp and clean finish.
A diverse and passionate team consisting of brewers, marketers and supply chain specialists, amongst others, has produced Black Crown. For Kashir Singh, Supply Chain Owner at ZX Ventures, what sets apart Black Crown is the fact that this gin and tonic is distilled locally, giving it that distinctive African taste. “It took an entire village for Black Crown to become a possibility and for it to become a success we had to challenge ourselves and also adapt our mindset as well as our processes at our breweries”.
In celebration of International Gin and Tonic Day (19 October), Black Crown Gin & Tonic joins forces with Scorpion Kings, two of South Africa’s heavyweights (Maphorisa and Kabza De Small) in the relentless township groove Amapiano. Together, they have curated an exclusive Spotify playlist, for music lovers to enjoy with a refreshing Black Crown in an unapologetically African way.
Gugu Dlamini, Marketing Lead for Black Crown, said that Black Crown is on a mission to help break down barriers, open fresh perspectives, and inspire people to re-think what they thought they knew, in an authentic manner. Collaborating with the Scorpion Kings is just one of the many innovative ways the brand plans to do that.
She highlights “Part of our goal, as a brand that unapologetically celebrates African pride, has always been to inspire young Africans to remain authentic, be unapologetic in their belief in themselves by having a royal state of mind. It makes so much sense then, to collaborate with the Scorpion Kings.”
“This is a true African success story,” Gugu Dlamini proudly exclaims. “When you take a sip of a Black Crown Gin & Tonic, you are not only tasting history, but also a future born in Africa. Leave it to us to give the traditional gin and tonic an African twist. The gin category will never be the same in Africa.”
***ENDS***
