Academic literature on the topic 'South African Breweries'

Learning outcomes They are as follows: to identify strategic growth opportunities for SMEs in the South African craft beer industry; to understand the complexities associated with operating a craft beer SME in the South African alcohol sector and analyse the SME’s strategic decision-making process that happens as a result; to understand the challenges and identify opportunities for entrepreneurship and growth in an emerging economy and niche segment; to develop a differentiation strategy for a small player in a competitive market; and to impart industry-specific knowledge and insight on the craft brewing industry. Case overview/synopsis The case is centred on the challenges that Hein Swart, managing director of Mitchell’s Brewery, is facing in sustaining business operations amid heavy regulations and increasing competition from existing craft breweries. In addition, there is the entry of a different type of competitor into the South African market that did not exist previously. The case narrative broadly presents several industry themes that interact with each other and create the existing complexities. Complexity academic level This case is targeted at postgraduate business school students with some work experience who want to build their critical thinking, business management and strategic decision-making skills such as Masters of Business Administration (MBA) and Executive MBA academic programmes, and also delegates on Executive Education programmes. The case is expected to be used as a case study for courses in entrepreneurship and strategic management; however, it can also be applied in strategic marketing courses. Supplementary materials Teaching Notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or email support@emeraldinsight.com to request teaching notes. Subject code CSS 3: Entrepreneurship

The study of liquor provides an opportunity for re-examining relations between states and economies. Recent works in European social history have shown that liquor occupies an ambiguous space between economic, social and cultural production while studies of liquor in colonial Africa repeatedly raise the problem of how economic freedoms pertaining to liquor were constructed in relation to the perceived character of persons in society. More specifically, the notion of ‘European liquor’ in colonial discourse suggests that the liquor of colonial masters should be aspired to. ‘European liquor’ was repeatedly contrasted to indigenous brews of lower alcoholic content that were pronounced to be uncivilized and primitive. It implied that drinkers of sorghum beer, palm wine and other beverages fermented from African grains and fruits would progress to the ‘superior’ beverages of their colonial masters. Critically, it assumed that transition to the higher alcoholic content required the discipline of ‘European’ lifestyles. Gradualism, however, often gave way to expediency. Colonial regimes repeatedly set aside fears of the effect of ‘foreign’ liquor on African subjects in the interest of revenue and political gains. The importation of gin by the colonial authority in Ghana provided the regime with revenue for its administration; in colonial Nigeria and elsewhere, liquor was used by the state as a means of winning allies among chiefs.

This article focuses on views expressed in newspaper articles and in letters to the editor about the future of Afrikaans in a new political dispensation. It seems as if people do not believe that despite the constitutional assurances of November 1993 - Afrikaans will be able to maintain its present status as one of the official languages of South Africa as the mistakes of the past are constantly being thrown into its face. There have been signs in the business community (for example by Toyota, Coca-Cola, BMW, SA Breweries) and in the political arena that English, rather than Afrikaans, is the favoured language. The views expressed in the articles and letters indicate that the Afrikaans community will not accept this attitude and that a new struggle for language rights (especially those of Afrikaans in the light of the history of Afrikaans) could be the result. This struggle could according to one letter writer - have serious consequences for peace in the country after the assumption of power by a new government will come to power after April 27 1994.

Currently, the production of craft beer in microbreweries has become very popular. This craft beer production process is energy intensive due heating and cooling equipment involved. Most of these breweries are classified as commercial loads which are subjected to the applicable commercial time-of-use tariff from the utility company. Renewable energy sources can also be used to assist the breweries in reducing their reliance on the energy from the grid. However, these systems show a common disadvantage of not always meeting the energy demand during the periods where the resources are not available. In this paper, an optimal energy management model of a 5 kWp grid-connected photovoltaic, using a double tracking system with battery storage, is proposed to reduce the microbrewery’s reliance on the grid. For this purpose, a mathematical model describing the system’s variables, objective function, and constraints are developed. Thereafter, the performance of the developed model is simulated and analyzed using the dynamic load demand of a microbrewery brewery as a case study in the South African context. For the selected brewery, the simulation results have shown that for the solar resources as well as applicable grid tariff; up to 53.5% daily operation cost reduction can be achieved when using the proposed system as comped to the usage of the grid alone.

Aspergillus clavatus intoxication is a highly fatal neuromycotoxicosis of ruminants, especially cattle. It is caused by the ingestion of infected sprouting grain and sorghum beer residue. Locomotor disturbances, tremors and paralysis are observed. Histologically, degeneration and necrosis of larger neurons in the medulla oblongata, the midbrain, the thalamus and the ventral horns of the spinal cord are observed. Although a range of mycotoxins such as patulin, cytochalasin E and pseurotin A have been isolated, there is limited information on which specific mycotoxin or group of mycotoxins are involved during outbreaks of intoxication in livestock. In the present study, two outbreaks of A. clavatus poisoning in cattle are briefly described. Feed samples were collected for fungal identification, and culture and multitoxin analysis. A range of fungal metabolites were detected, and the estimated concentrations (μg/kg) are provided. Both the sprouting barley and brewer’s grain were predominantly infected with A. clavatus and, to a lesser extent, Rhizopus arrhizus. The only common Aspergillus secondary metabolite present in all the samples was pseurotin A. Patulin and cytochalasin E were present in the sprouting barley samples, as well as the A. clavatus isolates cultured on malt extract agar for 2 weeks; however, neither of these mycotoxins could be detected in the brewer’s grain sample.

Thesis (MBA (Business Management))--Stellenbosch University, 2008.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: "Poverty is unnecessary. People are capable of getting themselves out of poverty. All they need is opportunities. They are not waiting for charity or handouts. Charity is good but it is not good enough. If you turn it into a business proposition, then it's very powerful, because it can run on its own steam" (Muhammed Yunus, Nobel Prize of Economics, 2006). It is widely acknowledged in current literature that business is one of the most powerful forces for change in the 21 st century. One of the major challenges is to harness this potential and to allocate it accurately to where it is most effective. Leaders globally are increasingly acknowledging that new business models are emerging that can effectively combine citizenship and profitability without unduly sacrificing returns to shareholders, but rather enhancing them. The term Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has been abandoned by most South African firms in favour of the term Corporate Social Investment. This has been done in order to divert attention from calls on business to redress the results of the country's historical contribution to the apartheid system. Businesses have responded strongly to the pressures of CSR. CSR in South Africa has become an inherent aspect of any organisation's overall business strategy. For South Africa to achieve their goals of reducing poverty, accelerating economic growth, and providing better services to their citizens there has to be a strong focus on encouraging large corporate involvement. This thesis discusses the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programmes implemented by selected large companies operating in South Africa and the attempts they have made to close the poverty gap at the bottom of the pyramid. The second part of this thesis provides a closer and detailed discussion of South African Breweries enterprise development programmes, viz: Ukusa and Mahlasedi. The outcome of this thesis provides further evidence that poverty alleviation strategies can be effective and sustainable if they incorporate private sector approaches that promote entrepreneurial development within the target population in South Africa. It also emphasises that CSR programmes not only provide opportunity for the population at the bottom of the pyramid but directly influences the growth and sustainability of many businesses in South Africa.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Dit word oral in huidige literatuur erken dat besigheid een van die sterkste kragte vir verandering in die 21 ste eeu is. Een van die grootste uitdagings is om hierdie potensiaal te benut en om dit akkuraat toe te wys na waar dit die doeltreffendste aangewend kan word. Leiers wêreldwyd erken toenemend dat nuwe besigheidsmodelle verskyn wat burgerskap en winsgewendheid doeltreffend kan kombineer sonder oormatige opoffering van winste aan aandeelhouers maar trouens eerder deur die verhoging daarvan. Die term Korporatiewe Maatskaplike Verantwoordelikheid (KMV) was deur die meeste Suid-Afrikaanse maatskappye ten gunste van die term Korporatiewe Maatskaplike belegging verruil. Dit is gedoen om aandag weg te lei van beroepe op ondememings om die gevolge van die land se historiese bydrae tot die apartheidstelsel reg te stel. Besighede het heftig gereageer op die druk van KMV. KMV in Suid-Afrika het 'n inherente aspek van enige organisasie se oorkoepelende besigheidstrategie geword. Vir Suid-Afrika om hierdie doelwitte van armoedevermindering, versnelde ekonomiese groei en beter diensverskaffing aan burgers te bereik, moet daar 'n sterk klem op die aanmoediging van korporatiewe betrokkenheid wees. Hierdie tesis bespreek die Korporatiewe Maatskaplike Verantwoordelikheidsprogramme (KMV-programme) wat deur geselekteerde groot Suid-Afrikaanse maatskappye geimplementeer is en die pogings wat hulle aangewend het om die armoede gaping aan die onderkant van die inkomstepiramide te vernou. Die tweede deel van hierdie tesis verskaf 'n fyner en breedvoeriger bespreking van die Suid-Afrikaanse Brouerye se Ondernemingsontwikkelingsprogramme, nl. Ukusa en Mahlasedi. Die uitkoms van hierdie tesis verskaf verdere bewyse dat armoedeverligtingstrategieë doeltreffend en volhoubaar kan wees indien dit privaat-sektor benaderings inkorporeer wat entrepreneurskaps ontwikkeling binne die teikenbevolking in Suid-Afrika bevorder. Dit beklemtoon ook dat KMV-programme geleenthede vir die deel van die bevolking aan die onderkant van die inkomstepiramide skep, en terselfdertyd die groei en volhoubaarheid van talle ondernemings in Suid-Afrika regstreeks beinvloed.

Includes bibliographical references.
In recent years South Africa has seen the formation of a nascent craft beer industry, with scores of small, independently owned breweries appearing in all corners of the country. Given this growth this descriptive study aims to provide an account of the marketing strategies used within the industry. This study used method and data triangulation, involving both qualitative and quantitative research approaches . Consecutive sampling of all active South African craft breweries was us ed, in order to give a holistic and accurate account (where n=86) . Data was analysed through qualitative content analysis of surveys administered to 24 craft brewers. Furthermore, social media data from the Facebook and Twitter pages of the 86 breweries was analysed quantitatively and through inferential statistics. This aimed at determining whether there were relationships between social media activity and audience size and engagement. The results of this research suggest that craft breweries in South Africa rely heavily on below - the - line and direct marketing tactics. The social media analysis also showed significant positive correlations between brewery -driven activity and audience size as well as engagement.

After careful review of all the relevant literature pertaining to motivation, performance management and compensation in the form of incentives, this thesis focuses primarily on determining whether a statistically significant relationship exists between individual needs and the choice of an incentive scheme option. The secondary aims of the research are to determine whether: A relationship exists between the job grade of an individual and the choice of an incentive scheme. A particular incentive scheme option is preferred by the employees in The South African Breweries (SAB). A particular preference exists, and if so, to make recommendations to SAB for consideration as alternatives to their existing incentive scheme options. After collation of the survey data from the respondents in the sample, the analysis and discussion of the results determined that no significant relationship exists between individual needs and the choice of an incentive scheme option. It was, however, determined that a significant relationship exists between the grade of the employees in SAB and their choice of an incentive scheme. 81% of all respondents indicated a desire for shares as an option in their Short Term Incentives (STI) which indicates a desire for shares in some form or another and may well indicate a level of confidence and commitment by the employees to the organisation. Although the research hypothesis was not proven, significant insights into remuneration within SAB was obtained, which has resulted in recommendations being made for further research into the option of shares in some form or another in the organisation. A further recommendation for SAB is to consider some form of share options for all employees in the organisation. As many other organisations that are performing at remarkable levels attest this performance to share ownership and the behaviour that emanates from it, it would be in the interests of SAB to further investigate the issue as it may improve performance, ownership and retention within the company.

Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2007.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This research report presents a framework for designing a procurement strategy using the concept of Power. Companies like Toyota have pioneered the use of the “lean thinking” concept of supply chain management to ensure that the entire supply chain co-operates to build a competitive advantage that saves money and provides a better product to the consumer. The basis of the “lean thinking” concept has been that buyers no longer treat suppliers as adversaries with the sole objective of leveraging the best price but engage with suppliers to develop long-term strategic relationships based on trust and collaboration. Power has always existed in business relationships. Power and the “lean thinking” concept appear to be unable to co-exist in the same supply chain relationships as one deals with trust and collaboration while the other deals with domination. This research reports shows that power and “lean thinking” can co-exist and that power has the potential to play a key role in understand the dynamics present in supply chain relationships both from the perspective of the buyer and the supplier. By mapping the power relationship between parties in the Supply Chain a company can understand the strategic options available to it to increase its impact on the supply chain and to use its position to leverage the best value possible both towards the other parties in the supply chain and to parties operating in competing supply chains. The power relationship between The South African Breweries Ltd and Consol Glass will be mapped to enable SAB to understand its available strategic options for the design of a 3 to 5 year procurement strategy. The strategies that crystallize from the power mapping process will be analysed with a view to selecting a single option that the SAB procurement function could adopt over the next 3 to 5 years.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie navorsingsverslag bied 'n raamwerk vir die ontwerp van 'n verkrygingstrategie met behulp van die konsep van mag. Maatskappye soos Toyota het met die gebruik van die “soepel denke”-konsep met betrekking tot aanvoerkettingbestuur baanbrekerswerk gedoen om te verseker dat die algehele aanvoerketting saamwerk om 'n mededingende voordeel te skep wat geld spaar én 'n beter produk aan die verbruiker bied. Die grondslag van die “soepel denke”-konsep is dat kopers nie meer verskaffers as teenstanders beskou en ten alle koste bloot die beste prys wil bewerkstellig nie, maar dat kopers in der waarheid deesdae nouer by verskaffers betrokke raak om langtermyn- strategiese bande op grond van vertroue en samewerking te smee. Mag was nog altyd deel van sakeverhoudinge. Mag en die “soepel denke”-konsep kon tot op hede skynbaar nie naas mekaar in dieselfde aanvoerkettingverhouding bestaan nie – die een handel op stuk van sake oor vertroue en samewerking, en die ander oor oorheersing. Hierdie navorsingsverslag toon dat mag en “soepel denke” wél gelyktydig kan bestaan en dat mag 'n sleutelrol kan speel om die dinamiek in aanvoerkettingbestuursverhoudinge, uit die koper sowel as die verskaffer se oogpunt, te begryp. Deur die magsverhoudinge tussen verskillende partye in die aanvoerketting af te beeld, kan 'n maatskappy verstaan watter strategiese opsies beskikbaar is om sy impak op die aanvoerketting te vergroot en sy posisie te gebruik om vir die ander partye in die aanvoerketting, sowel as partye in mededingende aanvoerkettings, die beste moontlike waarde te bekom. Vervolgens sal die magsverhouding tussen Suid-Afrikaanse Brouerye (SAB) Bpk. en Consol Glass afgebeeld word sodat SAB sy beskikbare opsies vir die ontwerp van 'n drie- tot vyfjaarverkrygingstrategie kan verstaan. Die strategieë wat uit dié magafbeeldingsproses na vore kom sal ontleed word met die oog daarop om 'n enkele opsie te kies wat SAB oor die volgende drie tot vyf jaar kan aanvaar.

Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2002.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This thesis has two objectives, namely: • The construction of a deduced model to evaluate the strategic management of a company. • The application of this deduced model to evaluate the strategic management of the South African Breweries Limited. In essence the model deduced that a company's overall strategic success would ultimately be embodied and reflected in the following aspects: • The company's ability to achieve its stated vision and mission. • The company's ability to add value to its shareholders. • The company's financial performance. • The company's diversification strategy. • The company's shareholding. • The company's ability to be flexible. • The company's strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. The South African Breweries Limited strategic performance, based on the deduced model, essentially and by exception indicated the following for the period 1991 to 2001 (see Chapters 3 and 4 for detailed and quantified analysis): • SAB achieved its stated vision and mission long before its target date. • SAB's drive to add value and maintain its shareholders confidence has been relatively successful. • SAB's operational performance has been relatively successful with a very evident strategy of low cost / low margin, but high volume strategy. Asset utilisation was however not on par with the largest brewer in the world. • SAB's strategic intent to be viewed by its customer as best cost provider has been relatively successful in that its price increases has been less than 85% of the official CPI, whilst at the same time it was awarded international accolades for product quality. • SAB's financial performance compares favourably against Anheuser Busch's, but it performed dismally with regards to its debtors' collection period since 2000 with an all time high of 101 days in 2001. • SAB's diversification strategy has refocused on its core business of consumer beverage market since South Africa's re-admission to the world market in 1994. • The rumour of another large brewer obtaining a relative large shareholding in SAB with a potential future merger was countered by SAB themselves in 1999 I 2000. • Since South Africa's re-admission to the world market, SAB has been able to refocus on its core business very quickly and shed its non-core businesses whilst at the same time becoming a world player. SAB South Africa has however faltered slightly in not being able to counter the slight loss of market share to substitute products. • SAB's entrance to the world markets, especially the emerging markets, has not only presented opportunities, but also threats and risks related to emerging economies. • The Chief Executive, Mr G Mackay, indicated that the investments in the emerging markets require optimisation and productivity improvements in order to achieve similar successes to its South African beer business. In summary it is evident that SAB has undoubtedly been successful up to 2001, but that the real challenge and proof of sustainable success in a multi country economy remains to be seen. To ensure continual growth as well as reduce and hedge its risk associated with emerging markets, diversification into an established first world brewing company, brand and market seem to be a logical next step.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie tesis het twee doelstellings: • Die samestelling van 'n afgeleide model om die strategiese bestuur van 'n maatskappy te evalueer. • Die toepassing van hierdie model om die strategiese bestuur van die South African Breweries te evalueer. In wese lei die model af dat 'n maatskappy se strategiese sukses uiteindelik weerspieël word op die volgende gebiede: • Die maatskappy se vermoë om sy bepaalde toekomsblik (visie) en doelstellings (missie) te bereik. • Die maatskappy se vermoë om sy aandeelhouers toegevoegde waarde te bied. • Die maatskappy se finansiële prestasie. • Die maatskappy se diversifikasie strategie. • Die maatskappy se aandelehouding. • Die maatskappy se vermoë om buigsaam te wees. • Die maatskappy se sterk punte, swakhede, geleenthede en bedreigings. Teen die agtergrond van die model het die South African Breweries se strategiese prestasie van 1991 tot 2001 die volgende getoon (sien hoofstukke 3 en 4 vir 'n gekwantifiseerde ontleding): • SAB het lank voor sy vasgestelde mikdatum sy voorafgestelde visie en missie bereik. • SAB se strewe om toegevoegde waarde te bied en sy aandeelhouers se vertroue te behou, was relatief suksesvol. • SAB se bedryfsprestasie was redelik suksesvol met 'n baie duidelike strategie van lae koste/winsgrens met hoë volumes. Die benutting van sy bates was egter nie op dieselfde vlak as by die wêreld se grootste brouer, Anheuser Busch, nie. • SAB se doelstelling om deur sy kliënte as 'n verskaffer van die beste waarde beskou te word, was redelik suksevol insoverre dat prysverhogings minder as 85% van die amptelike VPI was. Terselfdertyd is hy internasionaal lof toegeswaai vir die gehalte van sy produkte. • SAB se finansiële prestasie vergelyk gunstig met die van Anheuser Busch, maar hy het klaaglik misluk met skuldinvordering sedert 2000, met 'n hoogtepunt van 101 invorderings dae in 2001. • Sedert Suid-Afrika se terugkeer na die wêreldmark in 1994 is SAB se strategie om te diversifiseer weer gekonsentreer op sy kernbedryf, naamlik die verbruiker-drankmark. • Gerugte dat 'n ander brouer 'n relatiewe groot aandeelhouding in SAB wou bekom met die oog op 'n toekomstige samesmelting is in 1999/2000 deur SAB afgeweer. • Sedert Suid-Afrika se hertoelating tot die wereldmark het SAB homself baie vinnig weer toegespits op sy kernbedryf en ontslae geraak van nie-kern-sake. Terselfdertyd het hy 'n rolspeler op die wereldmark geword. SAB Suid-Afrika het egter nie heeltemal daarin geslaag om te keer dat hy 'n marginale markaandeel afstaan aan alternatiewe produkte nie. SAB se toetrede tot die wereldmark, veral opkomende markte, het nie net geleenthede gebied nie, maar ook verwante bedreigings en risiko's van ontwikkelende ekonomieë meegebring. • SAB se Hoof Uitvoerende Beampte, mnr. G. Mackay, sê dat SAB beleggings in opkomende markte verg optimalisering en groter produktiwiteit om soortgelyke sukses as in die Suid-Afrikaanse biermark te behaal. Opsommend is dit duidelik dat SAB tot in 2001 suksesvol was. Daar lê egter groot uitdagings voor en die bewys van sukses in 'n meerlandige ekonomie moet nog gelewer word. Om aanhoudende groei te verseker sowel as om die risiko's verbonde aan opkomende markte te verminder en daarteen te skerm, lyk aansluiting by of investering in 'n gevestigde brouer in die eerste wereld na 'n logiese volgende stap.

Bibliography: pages 94-102.
The South African Breweries Limited (SAB) is an extremely profitable business. In 1996, for example, group profits before taxes exceeded R3 billion, some 10 percent of total assets. For a capital intensive manufacturing enterprise, this represents a truly extraordinary result. The company is also South Africa's premier industrial enterprise. Between 1990 and 1996, for instance, SAB's return on equity consistently averaged around 5 percent per annum above the representative return on equity, calculated for the market as a whole. And as the country's largest single manufacturing business, SAB produces more than two percent of South Africa's gross national product of roughly one percent of the country's fixed capital stock. For these reasons, SAB is in its own right an economic unit of some interest and significance. But for the purposes of this dissertation, three additional features of the SAB group are significant. Firstly, SAB may be regarded, for many practical purposes, as the single supplier of malt beer in South Africa, a position which on several occasions has been termed a "monopoly". Secondly, SAB has until fairly recently formed part of a greater system of diversified arrangements - namely the Anglo American group. The company has also diversified into a variety of operations in its own right. SAB is therefore located at the heart of South Africa's so-called "group" structure: the group is itself a diversified conglomerate; and has for a considerable period of its history formed part of a broader conglomerate. Thirdly, SAB is part of a set of "pyramid" arrangements, an elaborate hierarchical system of corporate ownership and control. Each of these features of the SAB group - monopoly, conglomerate, pyramid - will be examined in detail in this dissertation. For the moment, it will be sufficient to note only that SAB is an interesting subject of analysis, for four distinct reasons. Firstly, the company is extremely profitable. Secondly, the company is also the sole supplier of malt beer in South Africa. Thirdly, the company forms an integral part of the South African system of conglomerates. Finally, the group is also a pyramid. At this point, it should be an obvious question whether an explanation for the superior profitability of the SAB group may be found in any one, or some combination, of these factors. In particular, the following chapters aim to establish whether SAB's position as single supplier in the malt beer industry; SAB's strategy of conglomerate diversification; and the group's pyramid corporate structure, are related in an economically important way to the profitability of this, South Africa's premier industrial enterprise. In this dissertation, the above question is addressed systematically: Chapter 1 examines the influence on SAB's profitability of the company's "monopoly" or single supplier position in the domestic malt beer industry. Chapter 2 investigates SAB's conglomerate structure to establish whether the firm's superior profitability may be explained by the system of diversified groups. Chapter 3 examines the impact on SAB's profitability of the "pyramid" corporate control system. The final chapter presents the investigation's conclusions.

Magister Administrationis - MAdmin
This study explores the relationship between companies and society with regards to companies’ social responsibilities. A number of concepts such as Corporate Citizenship (CC), Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Corporate Social Investment (CSI), articulate the role of companies in society. While these concepts are often used interchangeably, the main argument advanced in this study is that the concept of CC has more political currency than other concepts as CC confers duties and rights to companies in communities where they operate. In developing countries, CC is concerned with the role played by companies in administering the socio-economic rights of people living in communities where they operate. The study seeks to provide an overview of corporations’ obligations towards the socio-economic rights of people through CC, proposing the use of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) as a way to find a normative framework for CC.

A customer relationship management programme is a management tool that enables organisations to identify, satisfy and retain customers profitably by leveraging information technology. In addition to this the programme also links all the functional business units of the organisation together to operate as a single cohesive unit. This paper investigates whether or not SAB Miller should utilise a customer relationship management programme to provide off-trade retailers with world-class customer service. An important reason for this investigation is that the local beer market has experienced declining growth over the past few years. Furthermore SAB Miller which has had a monopoly in the South African beer market now faces increased competition in the premium segment of the beer market, which is experiencing growth and has good margins. In order to determine whether or not SAB Miller should institute a customer relationship management programme, a theoretical and empirical investigation was undertaken. The theoretical investigation provided a background to what components make up a customer relationship management programme and how these components are used to develop a customer relationship management strategic framework. Due to customer relationship management programmes not operating in isolation, the various key functions that support a customer relationship management programme were also introduced. Both the advantages and disadvantages of using such a programme were also introduced. The information technology aspects of the customer relationship management programme were also investigated. In terms of the empirical study it was determined that SAB Miller is not currently using a customer relationship management programme. The company, however, does make use of a tailored service package to segment their customers, to determine call frequencies by representatives, the financial needs of customers and what level of service to provide to customers. However, after conducting personal interviews with a sample of off-trade retailers in the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Municipality, it was determined that SAB Miller and Namibian Breweries Ltd (Brandhouse) provided very similar levels of service in terms of key functions supported by a customer relationship management programme. Therefore, by introducing a customer relationship management programme, SAB Miller could enhance their service levels and profitability to off-trade retailers in the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Municipality.

Thesis (MPhil (Industrial Psychology))--University of Stellenbosch, 2006.
The impact of HIV/AIDS on small and medium enterprises (SMEs) is little known in South Africa. SMEs are arguably the largest employer, nationally, particularly in the Western Cape. Unfortunately, SMEs fall within the profile of businesses that have neither measured the prevalence and impact of HIV/AIDS on their businesses, nor devised a response to it. Realizing the risks and costs posed by HIV/AIDS in their business partners, chief executive officers of Western Cape corporate employers, signed a pledge to mentor SMEs. This paper focuses specifically on the mentorship programme of South African Breweries (SAB), which uses taverns and shebeens as a platform for education and awareness programmes in the fight against HIV/AIDS. This was a comparison study, which measured the Knowledge, Attitude and Practice (KAP) of trained and untrained tavern owners in four geographical areas to determine how business has responded to the epidemic. A quantitative research approach was used. The study revealed that the experimental group (trained tavern owners) displayed greater basic knowledge and understanding of HIV and AIDS, than the control group (untrained tavern owners). Some of the challenges facing workplace programmes were the involvement in programmes without enough information. The study concluded that without capacity building through methods such as instruction, coaching, providing experience, modeling, advising, training, information sharing and resources by corporates, the negative impact of HIV/AIDS in SMEs will not be mitigated. While the survey results suggest the need for greater involvement by corporates in mentoring programmes, further research on the role of the private sector in HIV/AIDS management is necessary.

Thesis (MBA)--University of Stellenbosch, 2011.
The global business environment has evolved since 1990. This change has brought companies new realities in the form of new business opportunities for growth and, at the same time has exposed them to new competitors. This has caused companies to invest many resources in devising new effective strategies to take advantage of the new opportunities, whilst protecting their market positions, which are crucial to their continued economic existence. Effective implementation of strategy has become the goal of many organisations. However, in translating their grand plans into action, unacceptably high rates of failure have been reported among many companies. In most organisations, this responsibility has been left to lower levels of management. The purpose of this research was to establish what factors affected the implementation of strategy and more specifically, what role lower levels of management play in the implementation process. A qualitative study was undertaken where in-depth interviews were held with a senior executive and middle managers of a global company. Eight propositions were posited after a detailed review of literature on strategy implementation and middle managers. These were tested in relation to the results of the research and conclusions were then drawn. The data was analysed using content analysis and frequency tables. The research findings showed that middle managers play a critical role in facilitating the effective implementation of strategy. It also showed that the execution process is fraught with numerous challenges, some of which are lack of sufficient budgets, high staff turnover affecting continuity and the destructive nature of internal competition.