The Eastern Cape and Heineken Beverages have agreed to draft a new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to formalise a collaborative framework that will address common interests. Key initiatives include the province’s anti-pens-down campaign, learner ambassador programme, alcohol harm reduction efforts, road safety, compliance, and enforcement. Additionally, the MoU will focus on transformation in the industry, exploring the potential supply of raw materials such as apples and yellow maize by the Province to the brewer, and enhancing recycling efforts for alcohol bottles and cans to generate employment and business opportunities while reducing waste.
Speaking on the first day of her visit to the liquor industry, yesterday, the Eastern Cape MEC for Economic Development, Environmental Affairs, and Tourism, Nonkqubela Pieters, expressed her gratitude to Heineken Beverages for their collaborative work with the province through the Eastern Cape Liquor Board (ECLB), an entity of DEDEAT, in addressing the unintended impact of alcohol in the Province.
MEC Pieters urged Heineken Beverages to support the province’s priorities, which include fostering an inclusive economy, creating jobs, building industries, and investing in people. “I am here to encourage the liquor industry to consider our province for capital investments and other initiatives so that, together, we can combat the escalating youth unemployment. This challenge, directly or indirectly, exacerbates alcohol abuse and other social issues in our communities,” said MEC Pieters.
She praised the ongoing partnership between the ECLB and the liquor industry in mitigating the negative effects of alcohol abuse in the Eastern Cape and encouraged liquor brewer to continue and even scaleup their efforts in this area.
Heineken Beverages welcomed the visit and committed to working with the province to support efforts to improve the lives of its people. Ms Millicent Maroga, the Corporate Affairs Director, expressed gratitude for the engagement and stated they look forward to scaling up collaboration with the province for mutual benefit.
The MEC’s visit to Heineken’s Johannesburg headquarters marked a promising step towards strengthening the partnership between the Eastern Cape government and the liquor industry.
