Local brewers captured 97% of Sub-Saharan Africa’s beer market in 2025

Beer sales in Sub-Saharan Africa edged up by 1% in 2025 across the 25 markets tracked by IWSR, according to data published Thursday by BeverageDaily, with locally made beer accounting for 97% of total volume and imported brands left with only about 3% of the market.

The figures point to a beer market that is still growing, but in a way shaped by price pressure and local supply rather than by imported products or premium brands. IWSR, a private alcohol market research firm, said consumer budgets across the region remain under strain and that this is pushing drinkers to trade down. In practice, that has meant movement from spirits to beer, from imported brands to local labels, and from larger packs to smaller and cheaper formats.

The 1% gain in beer came within a broader beverage alcohol market that also grew 1% in 2025 in Sub-Saharan Africa, IWSR said. Among the main categories, ready-to-drink products posted the strongest growth at 11%, while spirits rose 6%. Wine declined 3%. The research firm said total beverage alcohol volumes in the region are expected to expand at a compound annual growth rate of 2% from 2025 to 2035.

For beer producers, one of the clearest signals in the data is the strength of domestic production. IWSR said local products dominate across much of the region’s alcohol market, but the pattern is especially strong in beer. Local production represented 97% of beer volumes in 2025, higher than the local share in spirits, RTDs, wine, or cider. That suggests international companies may find more room through brewing, bottling, or distribution inside African markets than through exporting finished beer into them.

South Africa stood out within the beer category. IWSR said beer volumes there increased 3% in 2025, two points above the regional beer average. It expects beer in South Africa to grow at a 2% compound annual rate from 2025 through 2035. The firm described beer as the country’s most resilient alcohol category at a time when affordability concerns are shaping consumption.

The same pressure on household budgets is changing buying behavior across the region. IWSR said downtrading, rather than premiumization, has been the dominant pattern in recent years. Consumers are not only moving toward local brands but also toward artisanal or informal alcohol in some markets, as well as smaller pack sizes that are easier to afford. That dynamic helps explain why overall volumes can rise even while spending power remains weak.

Russell Menezes, research director for Africa and the Middle East at IWSR, said the region’s demographics continue to attract industry attention despite those challenges. “Africa is often cited as beverage alcohol’s next frontier — and the demographics justify the attention,” he said, pointing to a young, fast-growing, and urbanizing population. At the same time, he said, the route to growth is complicated by structural volatility, the large presence of low-priced local and artisanal products, and distribution challenges.

The research also showed that beer is not the only category benefiting from shifts in purchasing behavior. In South Africa, RTD volumes rose 14% in 2025 as consumers looked for ways to manage their budgets, according to IWSR. In Kenya, local spirits and RTDs were the main growth categories, with volumes up 13% and 14%, respectively. In Nigeria, the firm said Gen Z consumers are less engaged with alcohol than older groups, while Millennials account for the largest share of drinkers and the heaviest drinking occasions.

Even with those category differences, affordability remains the common thread across the region. IWSR said some consumers still trade up selectively for special occasions, including in South Africa and countries such as Nigeria, Tanzania, Ghana, and Ethiopia. But the broader market remains heavily oriented toward value, and that supports domestic producers that can supply lower-cost products close to where demand is growing.

The data cited by BeverageDaily cover Angola, Benin, Botswana, Cameroon, Congo, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Reunion, Senegal, Seychelles, South Africa, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, and Zambia. IWSR did not publish absolute beer volumes, monetary sales, or full country-by-country comparisons beyond selected examples such as South Africa, meaning the figures offer a directional view of regional market structure rather than a complete official statistical record.

That limitation matters because the report is based on proprietary commercial estimates rather than government statistics. Still, the picture it draws is clear: beer in Sub-Saharan Africa is growing slowly, local production controls almost the entire market, and consumer demand is being shaped less by aspiration than by what households can afford.