SAB storage almost at capacity, brewers flatlining as liquor ban drags on Citizen reporter
The owner of Mad Giant Brewery, Eben Uys, checks the temperature of beer tanks in his factory, in Newtown, Johannesburg, on 15 January 2021. Craft breweries in South Africa had to adjust their operations to survive the third alcohol ban imposed by the government to help curb the spread of Covid-19. Mad Giant Brewery has reconverted part of his staff to the production of hydro-alcoholic gel. During the first wave of the pandemic, this new activity kept him afloat. But this time it s a bit harder. Picture: Luca Sola/AFP
Beer industry plea with president to lift alcohol ban rekordeast.co.za - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from rekordeast.co.za Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
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The prohibition, designed in part to ease the burden on hospitals from vehicle accidents and drinking-related violence, was implemented nationwide on Dec. 29, part of a wider set of lockdown measures that include a 9 p.m. curfew. Coronavirus case numbers have been accelerating following the emergence of a new strain late last year, while parties and other festive gatherings are known to exacerbate the spread.
The restrictions are set to be reviewed by Jan. 15, and allowing alcohol sales to resume “is imperative to ensure the survival of small business owners of craft breweries,” the Beer Association of South Africa said in a statement on Wednesday. The call comes after the equivalent body for the liquor-trader industry called on more government support for bars in the poorest communities.