Johannesburg, 28 May 2021: From today, Black South African retail investors will get the opportunity to invest in the world’s largest beer producer, AB InBev, following the listing of SAB Zenzele Kabili on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange’s (JSE) Empowerment Segment.

SAB Zenzele Kabili is a broad-based black economic empowerment scheme (B-BBEE) that is replacing SAB Zenzele, which has been phased out after it reached maturity. 

“As we afford the opportunity of ownership to qualifying South African shareholders with SAB Zenzele Kabili, we take great pleasure in welcoming more “owners” to the AB InBev family - a global family of local companies, with approximately 180 000 colleagues in nearly 50 countries, with over 500 iconic brands sold in more than 100 countries around the world”, says Carlos Brito, CEO of Anheuser-Busch InBev.

The first scheme, SAB Zenzele, was launched in 2010 to give its investors exposure to SA Breweries (SAB), the South African subsidiary of AB InBev. 

Over its decade-long existence, the B-BBEE scheme – the largest in the fast-moving consumer goods sector in South Africa – reached a total maturation value of R9.7 billion benefiting over 40, 000 shareholder beneficiaries.

Sam Mokorosi, the Head of Origination and Deals at the JSE, says he is excited about the listing of SAB Zenzele Kabili retail shares as it will advance economic empowerment of historically disadvantaged people and drive greater access by citizens to the retail investment opportunities available through the capital market.

“I am hopeful the SAB Zenzele Kabili scheme will deliver value for its shareholders and support the transformation and empowerment agenda of our country,” concluded Mokorosi.

The new scheme, SAB Zenzele Kabili, will list on the Empowerment Segment of the JSE at an initial listing price of R40 per share. 

The new B-BBEE scheme will have AB InBev shares as the underlying asset, giving shareholders access to all the international markets the beer maker has presence in. The initial 2010 Zenzele scheme gave shareholders access to SAB’s South African operations and was a closed scheme accessible only to selected retailer shareholders, SAB employees, a community outreach project, and SAB Foundation.