Last call at museum as lager mentality changes
● The passion for beer is infectious, admits Matshidiso Mkwana. So when the South African Breweries (SAB) World of Beer museum in Newtown, Johannesburg, closes at the end of the month, her cheers will lose some of their sparkle.
When Mkwana, 29, started at the museum as a temporary worker eight years ago, she did not even like beer, she says. “But after you learn about it and you see how excited other people get around it — the passion for beer is infectious.”
Through the years she has worked her way up to conduct tours, organise events and help market the museum.
“We’ve seen it all. When you mix alcohol and a good time, people are bound to get rowdy. But we can handle it.
“I feel like making an announcement for everyone to come and see the museum, because it won’t be here ever again. The [final day] is just around the corner. It’s sad.”
SAB said consumers are increasingly turning to beers with low or zero alcohol. The museum used to draw busloads of foreign tourists and even school groups, but visitor numbers began to drop off six years ago.
“We started offering beer tasting and food and beer pairings,” Mkwana said. “But the whole Newtown precinct is feeling the pinch. We are a tourist destination, so when the industry is down, so are we.”
She said the museum had 500 visitors on a busy day and just 20 on a slow day, with half of the guests foreign tourists.
While the museum began operating in 1994, president Nelson Mandela officially opened it in 1995 as part of SAB’s centenary celebrations.
The museum was one of the first major investments in the Newtown Cultural Precinct, an urban regeneration project, and helped pave the way for other developments.
Asaph Mola started working at SAB 32 years ago, and has been involved in the museum from the planning stage in 1993.
“I’ve been here a long time. I remember when Mandela came to open the museum. That day was hectic. So many people came and I had a lot of running around to do,” he said.
Among items on display at the museum are newspapers from August 15 1962, the day the Liquor Laws Amendment Act came into effect — it allowed black people to buy alcohol freely. “This is my birth date, so I’m a part of history. I was meant to be in this industry,” Mola laughed.
Tshepo Tloubatla, whose title is beer culture manager, has been working at SAB for seven years. “It is sad, the museum’s got history, but we are looking for a brighter future. Tastes have changed and the way people interact with beer has changed.”
SAB vice-president of corporate affairs and sustainability Zoleka Lisa said research showed 47% of adults in the US wanted to reduce their alcohol consumption as part of a healthier lifestyle, and SA was no different. “Market share for craft beers has increased,” she added.
In Numbers 25 YEARS
Since SAB World of Beer opened in 1994 50,000 THE AVERAGE
annual number of visitors to the museum