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EBL SETS SIGHTS ON E30M CARLING BLACK LABEL EXPORTS

By Nomfanelo Maziya | 2024-04-16

Eswatini Beverages Limited has set its sights on becoming a major exporter of Carling Black Label beer to South Africa, targeting a shipment of a whopping 28 million litres of the iconic South African brand, valued at E30 million.

These plans were revealed by EBL Country Director, Ncanelise Tumberiee, during the maiden business-to-government engagement organised by Business Eswatini.

The event, held last week at Emafini Country Lodge and attended by Prime Minister Russell Mmiso Dlamini and Cabinet ministers Manqoba Khumalo and Prince Lonkhokhela.

Tumberiee spoke about EBL's initial foray into Carling Black Label exports to South Africa last year.

While acknowledging some challenges encountered during this first attempt, she emphasised their significant growth target for the coming year.

“This year’s ambition is to export a massive 28 million litres, translating to E30 million in revenue,” she said.

She said this ambitious target highlighted EBL’s confidence in their capabilities and the market opportunity.

The Carling Black Label export initiative is a strategic partnership between EBL and South African Breweries (SAB), the owner of the brand.

For EBL, it unlocks access to a lucrative new market, boosting their sales and contributing to Eswatini's economic growth through job creation and foreign currency generation.

For SAB, EBL serves as a reliable and cost-effective production partner, helping to meet the high demand for Carling Black Label in South Africa.

EBL recognises the strong demand for Carling Black Label in South Africa and their unique capacity to bridge the supply gap, according to Tumberiee.

“Carling Black Label is South Africa’s biggest brand with high demand and not enough supply,” she highlighted.

Tumberiee further stated that EBL had come into the coward to say ‘we have the capacity to try and provide the support’.

Tumberiee highlighted the potential for further improvement, acknowledging the ‘couple of issues’ encountered during the initial export.

“Our first time and there were a couple of issues,” she said indicating that to day 5 000 litres had already been exported

She pointed out the significant tax revenue, revealing that it was approximately E20 million of the E30 million generated from the initiative and expressed EBL's desire to collaborate with government to explore ways to optimise financial aspects of the business.

“We have a huge opportunity to do more, we just need to partner with government to see how we can do better in the monetary side of the business,” she said.

Today, Carling Black Label remains a dominant player in the South African beer market.
It consistently ranks among the top-selling brands, capturing the hearts and taste buds of millions of South Africans.

The brand continues to evolve, adapting its marketing strategies to resonate with younger generations while maintaining its core values of quality and sophistication.

While Carling Black Label's stronghold remains in South Africa, the brand has ventured beyond its borders in recent years.

Export markets like Lesotho, Namibia, and now Eswatini are experiencing the taste of Carling Black Label. This expansion reflects the brand's growing international appeal and its potential to succeed in new markets.

This is such that in 2022, Anheuser-Busch InBev (AB InBev), the world’s largest brewer, reported higher-than-expected third quarter earnings with its South African operations delivering double-digit growth boosted by its core brand in the country, Carling Black Label.

It reported that performance was led by over 30 per cent revenue growth in our leading core brand, Carling Black Label.

“ Our premium, super premium and Beyond Beer portfolios all delivered a double-digit increase in volumes,” it said.

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