South African Breweries today outlined the impact of SAB Sharp, a platform dedicated to fostering a culture of responsibility within South African communities. The platform highlights the importance of responsibility across society and the crucial nature of partnerships with government, law enforcement, and community organizations to promote responsibility associated with beer consumption.
SAB Sharp is an evidence-based initiative designed to support communities in living, driving, talking, and selling Sharp. This platform is built on comprehensive research and global best practices and is regularly reviewed with significant input from stakeholders. Their contributions ensure the continued relevance and effectiveness of the platform to communities, making them integral to our mission. It is also built on a shared value system that promotes and ensures a culture of responsibility among all South Africans and delivers value to all stakeholders and communities involved through meaningful, sustainable interventions.
Through SAB Sharp, SAB intends to promote responsibility in communities towards a shared value between business, public sector and civil society. This is not just a short-term initiative but a long-term commitment. “This platform is integrated into our business strategy and operations, reinforcing our ambition to grow the beer category responsibly. We take pride in the impact and sustainable interventions that cultivate a culture of responsibility in South Africa, guaranteeing that every beer experience is a positive one”, said Zoleka Lisa, Vice President, Corporate Affairs, South African Breweries.
Driven through four strategic pillars, the platform's initiatives are supported by strong partnerships with government, law enforcement, and community organisations, resulting in impactful outcomes and a significant, positive shift in social norms. The four key pillars each target a specific area to promote responsible behaviour.
LIVE Sharp empowers responsible communities by creating an enabling environment for job creation and ultimately driving economic inclusion. Through the SAB Foundation, LIVE Sharp has disbursed over R500 million, supported more than 6,422 entities, created over 10,000 new jobs, and sustained over 5,000 jobs to date. This initiative has shown the impact of job creation in stimulating economic growth.
DRIVE Sharp encourages responsible driving by partnering with law enforcement agencies to curb drunk driving. Insights have shown that one of the most effective ways to combat drunk driving is enforcement. Through partnerships with law enforcement agencies such as the Joburg Metro Police Department (JMPD), SAB empowers law enforcement agencies with the appropriate infrastructure, equipment, and knowledge to carry out their duties effectively.
Commenting on the partnership with SAB, Mike Botolo – JMPD Superintendent said "As a long-standing partner to SAB on this journey of promoting responsible consumption, I commend the company's proactive approach and unwavering commitment to our mandate to regulate irresponsible behaviour on the roads. Since our partnership, and through such investments, we have seen an increase in the arrests of drunk drivers, which has indeed deterred people from drinking and driving.”
“SAB Sharp exemplifies how collaborative efforts can lead to impactful and sustainable solutions, setting a new benchmark for responsible behaviour in our communities. We are encouraged and anticipate the future of this partnership," concludes Botolo.
Communication is a recognised channel for influencing consumers. SAB believes that brands can create responsible platforms. As a result, through Talk Sharp, we have committed to investing in dedicated social marketing programs and campaigns that can influence behaviours towards more responsible consumption. The company recently went live with an updated SAB Sharp logo, a commitment to using brands to reinforce responsibility messaging and promote the enjoyment of beer with dignity. This logo is consistent and visible across all brands. TALK Sharp has been instrumental in maintaining the integrity and responsibility of brand messaging across all marketing communication.
Our retailers are a major channel of influence for us to address responsible consumption. Through incentivisation mechanisms, we are able to promote responsible trading as the right way of doing business. SELL Sharp empowers responsible trading by enabling retailers to comply with responsible trading practices. SELL Sharp has assessed over 32,000 retailers nationwide, ensuring they engage in responsible practices and promote responsible consumption among consumers. To date, the compliance rate of SAB traders and retailers is at 78%, driven by a focus on ensuring traders and retailers conform to responsible practices.
"Our association remains dedicated to promoting responsible practices and consumption among consumers. We are pleased to see significant improvement in the compliance rate of SAB traders and retailers, driven by SAB’s focused efforts to ensure adherence to responsible practices. This milestone reinforces a commitment to fostering a culture of responsibility and accountability within the industry," said Lucky Ntimane, Convenor, National Liquor Traders Association.
“SAB Sharp is a testament to our dedication to fostering a culture of responsibility in all our communities. To date, we have seen promising results from our efforts and are confident in the partnerships and partners that have given us the scale to make this significant impact. We look forward to continuing these collaborations and expect to strengthen our scale, our partnerships, and our learnings in order to achieve greater impact,” concluded Lisa.
For more information about SAB Sharp and to learn how you can get involved, please visit SAB’s website.
