Today in 1910, the Union of South Africa was formed from four British colonies; and on the same day in 1961, South Africa declared themselves a republic.

South Africa

South Africa Breweries

• Alrode Brewery
• Birkenhead Brewery
• Boston Breweries
• Drayman’s Brewery
• Gilroy Brewery, Restaurant and Bar
• Luyt Brewery
• Mitchell’s Knysna Brewery
• Nottingham Road Brewing
• Paulaner Brauhaus and Restaurant
• SABMiller: Alrode, Durban, Johannesburg, Port Elizabeth, Roodepoort, Rosslyn, Sandton
• Shongweni Brewery
• Zululand Brewing

South Africa Brewery Guides

• Beer Advocate
• Beer Me
• Rate Beer

Other Guides

• CIA World Factbook
• Official Website
• U.S. Embassy
• Wikipedia

Guild: None Known

National Regulatory Agency: None

Beverage Alcohol Labeling Requirements: Not Known

Drunk Driving Laws: BAC 0.05% and 0.02% for professional drivers (trucks over 3.5 tonnes, and vehicles carrying passengers for reward) National Road Traffic Act, 1996

• Full Name: Republic of South Africa
• Location: Southern Africa, at the southern tip of the continent of Africa
• Government Type: Republic
• Language: IsiZulu (official) 23.82%, IsiXhosa (official) 17.64%, Afrikaans (official) 13.35%, Sepedi (offcial) 9.39%, English (official) 8.2%, Setswana (official) 8.2%, Sesotho (official) 7.93%, Xitsonga (official) 4.44%, siSwati (official) 2.66%, Tshivenda (official) 2.28%, isiNdebele (official) 1.59%, other 0.5%
• Religion(s): Protestant 36.6% (Zionist Christian 11.1%, Pentecostal/Charismatic 8.2%, Methodist 6.8%, Dutch Reformed 6.7%, Anglican 3.8%), Catholic 7.1%, Muslim 1.5%, other Christian 36%, other 2.3%, unspecified 1.4%, none 15.1%
• Capital: Pretoria (administrative capital); Cape Town (legislative capital); Bloemfontein (judicial capital)
• Population: 48,810,427; 26th
• Area: 1,219,090 sq km, 25th
• Comparative Area: Slightly less than twice the size of Texas
• National Food: Bobotie
• National Symbols: Springbok Antelope, Elephant (mammals), Blue Crane (bird); King Protea; Real yellowwood; Table Mountain
• Affiliations: UN, African Union, Commonwealth
• Independence: May 31, 1910 (Union of South Africa formed from four British colonies: Cape Colony, Natal, Transvaal, and Orange Free State); May 31, 1961 (republic declared)

• Alcohol Legal: Yes
• Minimum Drinking Age: 18
• BAC: 0.05%
• Label Requirements: N/A
• Number of Breweries: 30

• How to Say “Beer”: bier
• How to Order a Beer: A beer, ah-suh-bleef
• How to Say “Cheers”: Amandla / Gezondheid (Afrikaans)
• Toasting Etiquette: For a toast, South Africans raise their glasses and say “Cheers!” On less formal occasions, they sometimes clink their glasses together and say “Chin Chin.”

Alcohol Consumption By Type:

• Beer: 56%
• Wine: 17%
• Spirits: 16%
• Other: 11%

Alcohol Consumption Per Capita (in litres):

• Recorded: 6.96
• Unrecorded: 2.50
• Total: 9.46
• Beer: 3.93

WHO Alcohol Data:

• Per Capita Consumption: 7 litres
• Alcohol Consumption Trend: Stable
• Excise Taxes: Yes
• Minimum Age: 21
• Sales Restrictions: Some for time, location
• Advertising Restrictions: No
• Sponsorship/Promotional Restrictions: No

Patterns of Drinking Score: 4

Prohibition: None