SAB World of Beer, Newtown
South Africa is perhaps better known for its wines, but beer brewing also boasts a long and glorious history in the country. The first local brewery was established as early as 1658, whereas wine production can be traced back to 1659. Today, South Africa boasts one of the world’s largest brewers, SABMiller, which operates locally as South African Breweries Ltd.
SAB World of beer logo. Photo courtesy Gauteng Tourism Authority
To celebrate this long brewing tradition and its 100th anniversary, South African Breweries established the SAB World of Beer in 1995 in the heart of Johannesburg, the Newtown Cultural Precinct. The centre takes you on a journey of the process of beer brewing, from the planting, harvesting and curing of barley, hops and malt to the final product’s delivery at your favourite bar or pub. It also lets you in to the earliest secrets of the craft and its ancient origins in Babylonia, Mesopotamia. Visitors will be taken on a greenhouse tour to see how barley and hops are grown and tended, as well as a full-scale brewery tour. This takes about 90 minutes, and afterwards you can enjoy two of your favourite beers on the house at the centre’s Tap Room. SAB World of Beer also offers five-star conference facilities.
Admission
R30 per person
Visiting hours
Tuesday to Saturday from 10h00 to 18h00
Directions
Close to Mary Fitzgerald Square in Newtown Cultural Precinct