MZANSI is divided about whether or not having beer sold off the grocery store shelves is a good idea.
The SNL24 team took to the streets of Soweto to poll South Africans about their views on beer being available on grocery store shelves and what this means to them as beer lovers. This is what they had to say:
It follows after the Beer Association of South Africa (Basa) announced the need to expand the distribution of alcohol and start supplying to grocery stores around the country. Basa is petitioning for beer to be sold in grocery stores – in the same way wine is sold.
It could be a way to spike growth efforts for the sector as brewing giant Heineken reported that beer volumes fell more than 20% in its third quarter to end-September.
With the festive season upon us, it’s pretty clear that beer will remain a top priority. Beer devotees eagerly stated that the sale of alcohol in grocery stores will be an added convenience.
Tavern owners in Dobsonville, Soweto have also expressed their concerns about the negative impact that this will cause on their small businesses.
Lerato Selemo said: “As tavern owners in Soweto, we rely on customers for our businesses to thrive. The sale of beer in grocery stores will lead to job losses. The rich will continue to be richer, and the poor will be poorer.”
While most beer lovers are saying yes to more options, tavern owners say it poses as a threat to their livelihood.
