High alcohol content fuels Black Label’s popularity in northern Namibia

… northerners love their Black Label

People in the northern part of the country drink the most Carling Black Label beer, or Zamalek, as it is called in the streets.

This is according to Anheuser-Busch InBev (ABInBev), the local producer of Carling Black Label.

The northern part of the county is made up of the Ohangwena, Oshikoto, Omusati, Oshana, Kunene, Kavango East, Kavango West and Zambezi regions.

ABInBev says Black Label is its most purchased product.

In the northern part of the country, Black Label is called ‘oshigwanga’, literally meaning ‘the drug’.

The name comes from the beer’s high alcohol content, making it a preferred choice for those wanting to get drunk quickly and without much money.

Speaking during the launch of the company’s Lion Lager local production line on Wednesday, ABInDev country manager Kevin Louw said the beer industry contributes N$2.9 billion to the country’s gross domestic product (GDP).

“Across the value chain, the industry has created 9 000 jobs,” said Louw, adding that the industry has paid N$1.26 billion in taxes to the government.

Previously, Lion Lager was produced in South Africa and imported to the country.

In March last year, the company reported in its annual report that it saw a 20% revenue growth, with its Carling Black Label beer bringing its revenue to N$260 billion.

The company produces Castle Lager, Castle Lite and Eagle Lager, which are locally produced using mahangu.

In 2018, the company introduced Corona Extra, Budweiser and Stella Artois, followed by Brutal Fruit Ruby Apple Spritzer in 2021. A study by Oxford Economics on the economic contributions of the beer industry showed that in lower income nations, the beer industry contributed N$612 billion to GDP.

“The beer sector’s contribution to GDP in lower income countries is N$646 billion. The average contribution to GDP was 1.6% across lower income countries in 2019, compared to 0.9% across high income countries,” read the report.

This shows that in lower income nations, beer is a huge contributor to the economy when compared to higher income countries.
Moreover, the industry employs 6.7 million people globally.

Also speaking during the launch, minister of industrialisation and trade Lucia Iipumbu praised ABInBev for having three line products that are produced locally.

Iipumbu said this will reduce the country’s dependency on imports.

“This also means that more local jobs will be created,” she said.

According to Iipumbu, the county’s Vision 2030 goal is to consume what is produced locally.

She said companies that do business with Namibia have the advantage of having access to other markets in SADC.

ABInDev has one brewery and three depots, with 146 permanent employees and 70 temporary employees.