THE 10 BREWING PRINCIPLES
It is through our principled belief that we never compromise when brewing the best beers in the world. Great beer is at the heart of our heritage and we ensure that every experience with beer is a memorable one that contributes to the enjoyment of life. We are here for the beer.
#1 WE BREW QUALITY
We never compromise on quality
We leverage the best brewing and packaging expertise in the world, adhere to a benchmark against global food safety standards and demand that our breweries be capable of meeting those standards.
Across our operations, we follow a comprehensive quality management system to maintain product safety at our breweries and facilities, extending these standards to our suppliers.
#2 WE BREW REAL
We only select ingredients that meet our standards.
Our ingredients are aligned to brand requirements, consumer perception and rigorous safety standards. We strive to develop solutions to source locally, benefitting consumers and communities.
Our brewers recognise that the slightest variance in ingredients or method can drastically affect a beer's taste, aroma or appearance. In light of this, from first germination of barley seeds to the final tankard of beer, only the highest standards are acceptable.
#3 WE BREW TOGETHERNESS
Passion for beer is our life.
Our beer culture sets us apart and drives us. In pursuit of better beer, we believe that all our colleagues are Owners, who can make a positive impact on how we deliver the best consumer experience.
Our company culture not only defines who we are, but also provides the energy and the focus to drive us towards our dream of building a better world. "We are building a culture in which we feel and act like this company is ours," says Beer Culture Manager, Tshepo Tloubatla. "We know that Owners are here for the long term and that's what we want. Owners take results and challenges personally and make better decisions because of it."
Even after more than 600 years of brewing, we are still using our brands to connect people and deliver the best consumer experiences.
#4 WE BREW HERITAGE
We protect the heritage and integrity of our brands.
We recognise the value of heritage to the consumer experience and we go to great lengths to protect it.
"Brands with heritage and a track record are well placed to build on the foundations that have been created over time," says Brand Director for High End and Global Brands, Ally Hewitt.
We are fiercely protective about the heritage, integrity and quality of our brands and what they stand for. They are consistently loved and trusted by consumers, and they have built a proud legacy well worth protecting into the future.
#5 WE BREW FRESHNESS
Fresh beer tastes better
We go to great lengths to ensure the freshness of our beers through innovation and optimisation in brewing, packaging and our entire supply chain.
We take great care to ensure that the process of packaging and distributing our beers is quick and efficient. That's how we make sure that the consumer gets the freshest bottle of product that retains its own unique, distinctive flavour.
Our passion for beer transfers to our uncompromising commitment to quality that ensures our consumers enjoy the freshest, best-tasting beers. Because, simply put, fresh beer made with the finest quality ingredients, tastes better.
#6 WE BREW TRANSPARENCY
We believe in transparency
Great beer has nothing to hide. We believe in proactively providing consumers with relevant information about beer – whether it's ingredients, nutritional information, alcohol level or freshness – so they can make the brand choice that's right for them.
Any company would be very pleased if their annual consumer survey returned 100% positive on ‘consumer expectations met and exceeded'. However, achieving this is no easy task. "Today, the consumer is equipped with instant internet knowledge and is willingly able to trade loyalty for the right cost or benefit ratio. Sometimes, they arm themselves with information that is not necessarily correct."- Director of Zone Brewing and Quality, Vimlan Moonsamy.
#7 WE BREW SUSTAINABILITY
We preserve our natural resources
At every stage of the product life-cycle we treat our natural resources with respect. We support a circular economy by recycling packaging materials and managing our by-products.
As the world's largest brewer and a big contributor to the economies in the countries in which we operate, we know how important it is to embed sustainability into our business strategy.
"In the Africa Zone, the majority (84%) of our beer reaches our consumers in returnable packaging," says Sustainable Development Manager, David Grant. "These bottles can be reused up to 20 times and can then be recycled into new glass bottles. At the same time, our by-products from brewing mainly comprise organic matter which finds markets, for example, in animal feeds.''
"Our long-term vision is to contribute meaningfully to the ‘circular economy', in which materials are used and reused to provide ongoing value. While this is a very important initiative for us at our facilities, we also need to take this home. We all need to do our bit in the end to reduce the impact we are having on the planet," adds Grant.
#8 WE BREW INNOVATION
We respect the consumer desire for choice
We listen to our consumers and focus on product and packaging innovation to meet their needs for all occasions, culture, preferences and beliefs.
Beer is enjoyed by millions of people around the world and has been used for many years in spiritual or religious ceremonies and social gatherings. More recently, it has become the drink of many a connoisseur, and is now regularly paired with delicious food created by celebrity chefs.
"We understand the need to continually explore opportunities to bring new and exciting brands to the market, giving consumers the variety of choice, interest and excitement, they want," says Director of Consumer Connections, Willem Jiskoot.
#9 WE BREW SIMPLICITY
We strive for zero added preservatives
We apply our best in class brewing knowledge and quality control to avoid the use of preservatives in our beers.
Beer – especially beer produced through best-in-class brewing knowledge and quality control – simply does not need preservatives. This is because the addition of hops and the presence of alcohol act as natural preservatives.
According to the Sensory and Consumer Science Team from ZITECH (Zone Innovation and Technology Africa), additives could affect the overall taste and quality of our products. Instead, we apply strict hygiene and quality control measures to ensure that the consumer receives the freshest, preservative-free product.
#10 WE BREW VARIETY
We value and address external stakeholder perspectives.
As the responsible steward of the beer category, we anticipate, seek and value external stakeholder perspectives.
We recognise that we can only be the best with the continued trust and engagement of all our stakeholders, which can take years to build.
"Our many stakeholders are at the centre of our passion for beer and we understand that in order to be a responsible steward of the beer category, we must maintain our founders' passion for brewing," says Vice President of Legal and Corporate Affairs, Doreen Kosi.
"Equally important is that, across our value chain, from seed to bottle, we brew transparency and simplicity – building trust and lasting partnerships with our customers and consumers and valuing their insight and perspectives. We must also brew sustainability and care for our communities and the environment, so that the world can enjoy our beers for more than the next 100 years."
