In the last two decades, SABMiller become one of the world’s biggest beermakers by buying domestic labels and marketing them locally. They’ve hired anthropologists, historians, and sociologists to help sell ‘local intimacy’ for 200 plus brands in 75 plus countries and demonstrated that regional branding can be competitive on a global scale. Their domesticating efforts in African, Asian, and Latin American markets have given the London-based multinational a reputation for daring. But now that SABMiller has launched the first ever commercial cassava-based beer with its subsidiary in Mozambique, there’s just one question—why is Impala Beer’s branding so bad?
The world’s first public video for cassava-based beer starts with a close up of earnest grimace (0:12min mark)
SABMiller has been accused of tax evasion in India and five African countries, including Mozambique. Since they’ve already negotiated out of Maputo’s excise tax for all future production of cassava-based beer, SABMiller wants to sell this beer as though it were charity work.
At the very least, the video presents a very romantic vision of Impala’s production model. It promises to improve the lives of subsistence farmers by providing a new reliable market for their small crops and amazingly, to make subsistence communities more self-sufficient. Business leaders know that Cervejas de Moçambique, the national brewery manufacturing the cassava product, already sold its contracts to big producers and started operating a year ago.
Is this romantic vision still tied to Max Weber’s belief in a Protestant work ethic that justifies industry as a virtue in itself? An evangelical fervor for self-improvement through the consumption of commodities?
Impala is being marketed to poor people who don’t buy other commercially distributed beers because they are too expensive.
The tropes in the ad are familiar: Show industrious-looking Africans. Show a guy (usually a white man) showing them what to do.
The problem is SABMiller is a multinational (well, very much a South African and British multinational, if you can make out the accents of its managers) in the business of selling beer, and beer is too laid-back for these tax-ass-saving moves.
First of, SABMiller needs to hire more Africans with such a large presence on the continent. Notice how all the management team is not locals, that’s a disconnect from the get-go.
The video was too long. Only one comment about the ‘ad’ (it is called a feature in media lingo) showing the places/positions of Africans vis a vis the whites holds. And of course, Hadji’s comment up there. The rest, maybe even including this comment, was just there for the words.
A couple of comments: firstly, and most importantly SABMiller has not been accused of tax evasion.
Secondly, cassava-based beer in Mozambique is subject to a reduced level of excise, rather than no excise at all, as suggested.
Charles Kenny provides a balanced perspective on beer and development in his recent blog:
http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2011/06/20/chug_for_growth
More information on Impala, the farmers from whom it will be sourced and the public-private partnership which is supporting the project can be found here:
http://www.sabmiller.com/index.asp?pageid=2167
This just shows a fraction of what big corporations do in Africa.
Suip! SAB issie Grootste Drug Dealer
Chorus
Suip! totdat die problem verdwyn
Suip! sober up & its the same
Suip! the “dop systems” got a new name
Suip! X 3
Verse One
Ek’s ‘n Hottnotsgod ma julle sien my net as ‘n bergie
Hoeko, want want ekkie virrie witman werkie
Os trek hie vannie plaas wa rie oppression obvious is
Ma rie oppressions innie stad issie selle yessies
jus gotta nicer name, call it 9-2-5 game
they change the name but the oppressions the same
the blame then returns to the victim once again
Pyn van apartheid word verdrink innie wyn
Soessie dop system slavery se pyn lat verdwyn
again and again our conscience drives us insane
Draining your brain, hiding your maines glory
Gory is the kroes hare or kinky hair story
Ek is sorri khoisan dat ek embarres oor julle is
Yes ‘ie problem is mixed mense se geskiedenis
en dis selfhate dat maak dat osself hate
Apartheid made many not fight, but stay gesuip
Verse Two
Tafelberg, noem my bergie want ek is van hie
Wie is jy, ma net my mense se enemy
en it be criminal you still own stolen property
Ironically you’re the first squatters in my country
Arrest me for vagrancy, when you the squatters be
My poverty enforced by whose greedy politically
Bergie I be, cause Im strong like the mountain see
Not flat on my back like the Cape Flats refugee
Think that they free, but enslaved mentally
Our mentality ensures they control our economy
Conning we into controlling our money
Funny how the dop systems revised now sunny
Gave money and dop to ensure our addiction
Restrictions removed increase shabeen affliction
Mixing hate and addiction brings self anihilation
While the khoisan in us is heading for extinction
Verse Three
Awe, Julle se ekke loaf, ma daais’ie eintlik wa nie
Ek collect rent vir land wat julle nie voor wil betaal ‘ie
Soes die taal hie, Afrikaans, het die slawe create
Julle goodneighbourliness is wa julle vir os uitsmuit
Apartheids nog sterk, is os wat vir julle ryk werk
Os ryk sterk van glue en spirit wat os op trek
Osse kerks S.A.B, die grootse drug dealer
Ko weg met moord, wie control die drunk driver
Supplier vannie drug virrie khoisan annihilation
Im Breaking the silence of slave mind occupation
Invasion of the mind, kills our peoples pride
Behind self inflicted genocide the problems cause hides
Sides vat os maklik en maak osse self dood
As ie gangsters saamstaan, is osse army lekker groot
‘n khoisan army wattie maklik disperse ‘ie
Jdy 5 minute om te disperse op my hotnot oorloosie …
11 minutes ago · Like
Emile Lester Jansen Suip! SAB issie Grootste Drug Dealer, Hulle mos met my mense se lewe, virrie dop system het os huklle te vinning vergewe … Nou sit os in ‘n hoekkie en bewe … SUIP!!!