Kenya. SABMiller Launches Draft Beer in Comeback

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Global Brewer SABMiller seeks to broaden its footprint in the local alcoholic beverage market launching a new draft beer through its subsidiary Crown Beverages Limited (CBL).

Crown Beverages Limited Marketing Manager Pinkie Nyandoro said the introduction of the Miller Genuine Draft (MGD) into Kenya sets the country up as major market for the brewer in the region.

“This launch coincided with some changes that have happened in the Kenyan alcoholic market. SABMiller has recently re-entered into this market. We are proud to be associated with the launch of this brand into Kenya,” she said.

MGD is SABMiller’s third beer in the Kenyan market, rivaling beer brands Tusker Malt and Heineken that already have a grip on the premium segment of the local beer market.

Nyandoro said the draft beer is targeted at Kenya’s growing urban population and has a unique patented filtration process that produces the beer in its freshest form.

“Consumers can look forward to a special beer in the terms of the way it is brewed and the production process. It’s 4X cold filtered. It’s as fresh as a beer can get,” she said.

The MDG beer was first launched in the United States in 1987 and to date is SAB Miller’s best selling beer with four million bottles sold daily.

SABMiller has a presence in over 20 African countries that accounted for 12 percent of the group’s total revenues for 2011.

SABMiller left the Kenyan market for a nine-year period, and since East Africa Breweries Limited (EABL), bought the giant brewer’s 20 per cent stake in Kenya Breweries Limited (KBL) at a cost of Sh19.5 billion.

“We’re looking forward to launching a few exciting brands that have been well researched and that we feel Kenyan consumers will be very anxious to experience in this market,” Nyandoro said.

Other SABMiller products distributed locally include Redds, and the company’s flagship product in Kenya, Castle Lager, that was introduced in the late 1990s.