THE South African Breweries (SAB) along with the Office of the Premier in the Eastern Cape announced the Ibhayi Brewery expansion project that aims to stimulate economic growth. According to SAB it will provide 14 000 additional jobs in the beer sector and will add R2.5 billion to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
Ibhayi Brewery, located in Perseverance Industrial area in Gqeberha, is the sixth-largest brewery in South Africa and produces around 220 million litres of beer per year. To date, the completed work on the expansion project amounts to R111 million, and the project will continue to create considerable opportunities in the province. So far, the community of Ibhayi has secured employment for more than 120 people – 30% of these new positions have been filled locally. Twenty-eight companies have been contracted for civil construction, and eight SMMEs have been appointed. A community liaison officer from the local ward represents the community – to ensure their involvement and to leverage opportunities that may arise.
Present at the event was the Premier of the Eastern Cape, Oscar Mabuyane who commented on the importance of this private-public partnership and the unequivocal impact on growing the economy and creating much-needed jobs. He said, “Private sector is helping government to create jobs. Government must create a conducive environment for the private sector to come in here.” Referring to SAB, he continued, “If you want to increase this, the municipality must create a week to make land available for you, to move,” he said.
“A focus for us at SAB is to invest in the communities in which we operate, and this project is an example of how we aim to maximise opportunities for local contractors that service the wider Ibhayi community. In doing so we can ensure widespread economic growth in the province, and this is important to us in our quest to move South Africa forward,” said SAB CEO, Richard Rivett-Carnac.
VP corporate affairs at SAB, Zoleka Lisa, added, “The beer sector is natural in form, inclusive across diverse communities, and focuses on creating opportunities for local empowerment. We couldn’t be more proud of this project and what it will mean to the local population, today, and in years to come.”
