Heineken to sell Amstel in South Africa

Heineken said it will produce Amstel for sale in South Africa at its facilities in Europe until its new brewery is complete.

In a statement Heineken said: “Regaining the Amstel brand is an important development for both the Heineken and Brandhouse businesses.

“It allows us to further strengthen the existing Brandhouse portfolio and it represents a significant step in building our business in this profitable beer market.”

According to Heineken, the South African premium beer market, in which Amstel has a 8% market share, grew 20% in 2006.

SABMiller said it will increase production and distribution of its Peroni Nastro Azzuro and Pilsner Urquell brands, which already have a stronghold in the South African market. It will also look to introduce further premium brands from its portfolio to negate the impact of the loss of the Amstel licence.

The company, which also operates the Castle and Miller Genuine Draft brands, has brewing interests in more than 60 countries.