Women turn the tide in South Africa's beer industry

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The Craft Beer Association South Africa (CBASA), under the umbrella of the Beer Association of South Africa (BASA), is working to dismantle the gender stereotypes surrounding beer drinking and brewing.

This is just one of BASA’s goals: its vision is to promote responsible alcohol consumption and foster industry growth in a way that benefits everyone.

BASA CEO Charlene Louw highlights how beer plays a key role in South African culture.

“Beer drinking is not only a social activity that brings people together,” says Louw, “it also underpins a substantial economic activity that creates jobs and develops skills. We would like to see women as full participants in the benefits that the industry can bring.”

Leading by example, Wendy Pienaar and Megan Gemmell run their own craft breweries.

Pienaar is the co-founder of Just Brewing Co in Benoni, Gauteng, and Gemmell is the founder of Clockwork Brewhouse near Durban in KwaZulu-Natal. Still, beer brewing remains an unusual career for women, where less than 5% of business owners or head brewers are women.

Breaking into a male-dominated industry comes with challenges, but women brewers like Pienaar and Gemmell are turning those obstacles into opportunities. Many people hold preconceived ideas about women’s roles and tastes.

“At first, I was often mistaken for a server at events, while my partner Dion, would field the brewing questions,” Gemmell recalls. “Thankfully, things have changed over the years.”

Pienaar adds, “We still get belittling comments about our knowledge of beer, and it’s common for women to be offered wine or alcopops at events instead of beer.”

Another challenge, Gemmell notes, is the physical demands of running a craft brewery. “Growing up, many girls weren’t taught skills like plumbing or fixing equipment, but I’ve enjoyed learning those along the way. It’s been an empowering experience,” she says, highlighting that women are more than capable of thriving in this industry.

How to bring more women into the industry

“Many women who say they don’t like beer probably haven’t found the right beer for them,” says Pienaar.

“There is a beer for every taste, even a beer that tastes like pina colada. It is just a matter of experimenting. Women are often not offered the opportunity to experiment with beer. We need to encourage women to come to beer events, taste the product, and feel comfortable in a beer-drinking environment.”

She adds that SAB and Heineken are positively depicting beer drinkers as both men and women in their marketing, but there is still room for improvement.

Consider a career in beer brewing

Craft beer is an open industry, welcoming people of all genders and backgrounds. Whether you're interested in brewing, marketing, or distribution, there’s a place for you. But with hard work and a willingness to learn, anyone can succeed in the beer world.

Although there’s no local course of study specifically for beer brewing, remote learning options through institutions like the Institute of Brewing and Distilling in London make it accessible to those interested.

Both Wendy and Megan point out that women are often “supertasters” (Dr Linda Bartoshuk of Yale University, Accounting for Taste), meaning they have a heightened sense of taste, which can be an advantage when judging and brewing beer.

But Gemmell says anyone can train their palate to discern subtle flavour’s and aromas. “Drink more beer and more varieties of beer,” she recommends. “Taste with other people, discuss the beers and make an event of it, savor the complexities.”

Gemmell also highlights that many breweries prefer to employ women because of their attention to detail, a critical skill in maintaining consistent beer quality.

Working towards inclusivity

CBASA is committed to making the craft beer community as inclusive as possible. “We need to ensure that beer events and marketing campaigns appeal to everyone—not just men,” Pienaar says.

“It’s time for women to take up space as both brewers and consumers.”

Gemmell echoes this sentiment, adding, “The craft beer industry is now a very inclusive environment, with both men and women helping each other. We are all working towards a common goal—good craft beer.”

As more women like Pienaar and Gemmell lead the way, they’re not only shaping a more inclusive industry but also proving that the future of craft beer is one where everyone can thrive. After all, great beer knows no gender.