The South African Breweries (SAB) has unveiled a pivotal campaign aimed at promoting responsible drinking and safety on roads, a move that underscores the company’s unwavering commitment to fostering a culture of responsibility within South African communities.
The 2024 Drive Sharp initiative serves as a part of SAB’s broader platform, SAB Sharp, dedicated to promoting responsible drinking behaviours and raising awareness about the dire consequences of alcohol-related accidents.
Through the SAB Sharp platform, SAB highlights the importance of responsibility across society and the importance of partnerships with government, law enforcement, and community organisations to promote responsibility associated with beer consumption.
Speaking about the 2024 Drive Sharp campaign, Vice President of Corporate Affairs, Zoleka Lisa, said the company’s goal is to challenge consumers to make responsible choices for the safety of their families and communities.
“At SAB, we want to foster responsibility in our communities. Through this programme, we are playing our part in encouraging people to not drink and drive. Today we showcased two real-life stories of families who have lost loved ones as a result of drinking and driving, really highlighting the impact that one accident can have.
“The films are shot in a documentary format where we go deeper with the families on how their lives were never the same after the loss of their loved ones. To honour the loss of their loved ones, we recreated a photo of the deceased using parts from the carnage of car accidents. The sculptors were then revealed to the families for the first time during the shooting of the documentary.
“For us at SAB, responsibility is not just a short-term initiative but a long-term commitment. SAB Sharp is integrated into our business strategy and operations, reinforcing our mission to grow the beer category responsibly,” said Lisa.
To date, through investing in Alcohol Evidence Centres (AEC), the company has enabled law enforcement agencies such as the Johannesburg Metro Police Department and the Western Cape Traffic Department to enact over 24 000 arrests nationally.
Romeo Hendricks, acting director: Community Safety for Theewaterskloof Municipality in the Western Cape, stated that the partnership with SAB has led to increased arrests of drunk drivers, deterring people from drinking and driving.
“As a long-standing partner to SAB on this journey of promoting responsible consumption, I commend the company’s proactive approach and unwavering commitment to our mandate to regulate irresponsible behaviour on the roads.
”Since our partnership, and through such investments, we have seen an increase in the arrests of drunk drivers, which has indeed deterred people from drinking and driving.”
The Star