AS South Africa enters a second wave of Covid-19 infections, the Beer Association of South Africa (BASA) says it will continue rolling out extensive interventions to further limit the spread of the virus in the country.
The association’s interventions – whose members include the Craft Brewers’ Association of South Africa, Heineken SA and South African Breweries (SAB) – include:
- BASA members have provided training and guidelines to outlets across the country, including the roll-out of 50000 educational posters to establishments;
- Members have also visited businesses across the country to ensure they are compliant. These oversight visits will continue over the festive season;
- The beer industry will maintain its zero-tolerance approach towards non-compliant businesses by cutting off supply to those outlets and establishments that have had their licences revoked by provincial liquor authorities;
- South African Breweries has contributed R15 million to the South African Solidarity Fund. Beer manufacturers have also donated PPE for hospitals and frontline health workers and will continue with these donations to provincial health departments over the festive season.
“Preventing the further spread of Covid-19 must be the first priority, and so we call on all liquor outlets and establishments to continue playing their part by enforcing the wearing of masks and social distancing in their establishments,” the association said.
“We also call on consumers to drink in moderation and continue taking the necessary precautions to protect themselves and others from Covid-19 while enjoying their holiday.
“This includes wearing their masks, continuously sanitising their hands and avoiding large social gatherings. Finally, we urge all South Africans not to drink and drive.”
The association said that this is the only way the country will be able to avoid another hard lockdown, protect lives during the second wave, and safeguard the economy and jobs.
Industry hurting
“While it is imperative that we do all we can to stop the spread of Covid-19 during the upcoming holiday period, it is also critical that we safeguard the close to 415 000 jobs that depend on the beer industry as well as the one million livelihoods that are supported across the alcohol value chain,” the association said.
It added that the previous alcohol bans and prolonged restrictions on the trade of alcohol saw an estimated 7,400 jobs lost, R14.2 billion in lost sales revenue and more than R7.4 billion loss in taxes and excise duties in the beer industry alone.
The craft brewery sector was particularly hard hit, with 30% of breweries shutting their doors and those that managed to stay open being forced to retrench staff, resulting in hundreds of jobs losses.
“Those businesses that managed to survive can simply not afford another ban or further trade restrictions.
“It is therefore critical that we all play our part in flattening the curve and to avoid our health services becoming overwhelmed over the festive season.”
Reprinted from https://businesstech.co.za/news/business
