Namibia: Beer production shoots up in December 2020

Beer production shoot up in the month of December 2020 from the slump experienced during the lockdown months, according to the Namibia Statistics Agency (NSA).

The latest issue of the Beverage Sectoral Report that incorporated the December 2020 production figures, shows that the country's beer production jumped from 8,6 hectolitres in April to producing 146,3 hl in December.

The report tracks the hectolitres of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages produced in the country.

Namibia Breweries and AB InBev Namibia reached the lowest brewing figures in the last six years for the months of April and May.

According to NSA figures, in April 2020, the two breweries' combined production was 8,6 hl of beer but doubled in May, where they produced 16,9 hl.

Production climbed to 63,3hl in June 2020, and continued being under 100 hl until October.

The low production in April and May could be attributed to the ban of alcohol sales during that time to combat the spread of Covid-19.

Beer production for 2020, however, started picking up in October as it went to its usual volume of above 100 hl, and continued the upward trend in November with 126,7 hl before it reached its highest for the year in December with 146,3 hl.

Besides 2020, the NSA country beer production data shows that from 2015, the lowest production in the past five years was 77,1 hl in February 2015.

Beer production below 100 hl has only been experienced 12 times (months) in the last 60 months, excluding the Covid-19 year (2020).

Data also shows that December has always been the month of increased production and not even Covid-19 related restriction stopped the two brewers' production.

The 146,3 hl December 2020 beer production was the third highest in the past six years.

However, for the past six years, 2019 can be termed beer year as the country's brewing was over 100 hl each month, also it reached its highest production of 152,3 hl in December, shows NSA.

Beer and non-alcoholic production are categorised as a manufacturing in the gross domestic products and the 2020 decline in production shows manufacturing falling by almost 30% in the first quarter and by 24,6% in the third quarter, says NSA.

Together with non-alcoholic beverages, the decline in beer production in the third quarter of 2020 has cost the economy about 39,4% activities compared to 2019.

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