Table 1 Key alcohol industry organisations identified in the dataset

Transnational alcohol companies

AB InBev

NEDLAC Liquor Task Team member. Named party to a July 2020 version of a draft social compact* (as part of Beer Association of South Africa). See also South African Breweries

Diageo

Named party to a July 2020 version of a draft social compact (as part of South African Liquor Brand Owners Association)

Heineken

NEDLAC Liquor Task Team member. Named party to a July 2020 version of a draft social compact (as part of Beer Association of South Africa). See also Distell

Pernod Ricard

Named party to a July 2020 version of a draft social compact (as part of South African Liquor Brand Owners Association)

Subsidiaries of transnational companies

Distell (acquired by Heineken in 2023)

NEDLAC Liquor Task Team member. Named party to a July 2020 version of a draft social compact (as part of South African Liquor Brand Owners Association)

South African Breweries (subsidiary of AB InBev since 2016)

In August 2020, government noted that:

‘there’s been a threat from SAB [South African Breweries] to withdraw the 2.5 million that they were going to invest in the sector on the basis of the fact that they were not able to trade’. Meeting minutes report that industry declined to rescind the withdrawal of the funds (NRRTT on the liquor industry meeting minutes, 24th August 2020). Named party to a July 2020 version of a draft social compact (as part of Beer Association of South Africa)

Social Aspects and Public Relations Organisations (SAPROs)

The Association for Alcohol Responsibility and Education (Aware); formerly known as the Association for Responsible Alcohol Use (ARA) (funded by the alcohol industry [44]. Includes Diageo and Heineken board members) [45].

During discussion of the social compact, industry representatives proposed self-regulation measures could be implemented through Aware. Presented to NEDLAC IN February 2021 on the industry-wide response to the pandemic, including reported donations to the pandemic response

Trade associations

Beer Association of South Africa (BASA) (represents Craft Brewers Association South Africa, Heineken South Africa, South African Breweries and United National Breweries) [46]

NEDLAC Liquor Task Team member. Named party to a July 2020 version of a draft social compact. One of three industry funders of a 2022 socio-economic assessment of the Bill [47]

National Liquor Traders Association (NLTA) (including/also known as Liquor Traders Association of South Africa (LTASA) National Liquor Traders Council (NLTC) and South African Liquor Traders Association (SALTA))

NEDLAC Liquor Task Team member. Named party to a July 2020 version of a draft social compact

South African Liquor Brand Owners Association (SALBA) (AWARE board member; Diageo and Heineken are executive members) [48]

NEDLAC Liquor Task Team member. One of three industry funders of a 2022 socio-economic assessment of the Bill [47]

Vinpro (wine industry)

Named party to a July 2020 version of a draft social compact. One of three industry funders of a 2022 socio-economic assessment of the Bill [47]

Wider industry groups

Agricultural Business Chamber South Africa (Agbiz) (lists South Africa Wine as members) [49]

NEDLAC Liquor Task Team member

Business Unity South Africa (BUSA) (includes South African Breweries as members [50])

Apex body ‘formally recognised representative of business at NEDLAC’ [51]. NEDLAC Liquor Task Team member. Commissioned a 2022 socio-economic assessment of the Bill [47]

Consumer Goods Council of South Africa (CGCSA) (membership includes retailers and other industries including tobacco [52]

NEDLAC Liquor Task Team member. Named party to a July 2020 version of a draft social compact