Business
Ndumiso Madlala opens South Africa’s first black-owned brewery
(VoA News) – South Africa is a country that loves its beer. It’s a product that has blossomed into a multi-billion dollar industry for commercial beverage companies. But now there’s a growing popularity for craft beers made by smaller microbreweries which are opening across the country.
There’s a new offering for South Africa’s growing thirst for good beer. It’s called Soweto Gold, and it’s the creation of master brewer and businessman Ndumiso Madlala. He’s making history by opening South Africa’s first black-owned and locally brewed beer in the Johannesburg suburb of Soweto.
“A lot of people were very surprised that a black person can brew beer,” he said. “So I am very proud that I have been able to demonstrate to other African people that it is possible to venture into brewing as an African person, and I so hope that a lot of people are going to follow suit in the brewing field.”
Madlala has a chemical engineering background. He learned about the business as a master brewer for the world’s second-largest brewing company.
“The determination and the career path that I followed actually helped me to gain a lot of experience which I am using now to start my own business,” he said.
Madlala says he combined his technical knowledge with his knowledge of South Africans’ palate.
“They prefer a little bit of sweetness in the beer and they love fruity beers,” he said. “It (Soweto Gold) is a craft beer. It is different because it is much more richer, it is very fruity. Yes, it is less hoppy and it has a very nice lingering sweetness in the background.”
