Tawanda Musarurwa

Check Point Desk

IN December last year, the Harare City Council fined 12 bottle store operators for flouting regulations, amid indications that many of the roughly 30 outlets in the capital’s central business district lacked proper licences.

The crackdown, however, was short-lived.

While beer is often seen as a cultural indulgence, it carries serious economic and social consequences.

Zimbabwe has policies regulating alcohol, including the Liquor Act (Chapter 14:12), which established the Liquor Licensing Board; and the National Alcohol Policy, which was launched in 2010.

In April 2024, Cabinet approved the Zimbabwe Multisectoral Drug and Substance Abuse Plan (2024-2030) and principles for a new Drug and Substance Agency Bill. Yet, as beer consumption rises, the gap between policy and practice remains sobering.

Beer by the numbers
According to latest annual figures from Delta Beverages — the country’s biggest brewer — locals consumed 2,66 million hectolitres (or 266 million litres) of lager last year.

That is an 8 percent increase from 2023.

With a population hovering around 16 million, Zimbabwe’s per capita (or per person) lager consumption comes to around 16,6 litres per year.

That also translates to roughly one bottle per person per week.

But not everyone is a drinker.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), Zimbabwe’s 12-month prevalence of alcohol use in 2019 was within the 9 percent to 22,6 percent range, which means under a quarter of persons aged 15+ drank alcohol at least once that year.

Latest data from the Zimbabwe Demographic and Health Survey (2023-2024) reveals that 35 percent of men and 6 percent of women consumed any alcohol in the month preceding the survey, which generally aligns with the trends indicated by the WHO.

Global trends suggest that non-drinkers typically outnumber drinkers. According to WHO, in 2019, 56 percent of the world’s population aged 15+ (65 percent of females, 48 percent of males) abstained from drinking alcohol.

“While alcohol is the world’s most-used psychoactive substance with considerable risks to health, it has never been consumed by the majority of adults (traditionally defined as persons aged 15 years and above),” says WHO.

With an estimated lager consumption of around 16,6 litres per year, Zimbabwe’s lager numbers are not exactly Oktoberfest, but still respectable — especially for a country where beer competes with spirits and traditional brews like “Chibuku”.

To put that number into context, let us take a look at the heavyweights of hops.

According to the latest beer consumption report by Wisevoter, the Czech Republic (or Czechia) is global beer royalty, with an average of 140 litres per capita annually — more than eight times Zimbabwe’s average.

Namibia, Africa’s undisputed beer champion, guzzles 95,5 litres per head.

In terms of pure alcohol consumption, with lager typically at 5 percent alcohol by volume, the 266 million litres translate to about 13,3 million litres of pure alcohol — or approximately 0,83 litres per capita.

But this figure of 0,83 litres of pure alcohol per capita gives an understated picture of real alcohol consumption on the ground.

The number excludes traditional brews like “Chibuku” and home-distilled illegal alcoholic drinks like kachasu, which dominate in rural and peri-urban areas.

Consumption of distilled alcoholic beverages (more commonly known as “spirits”) — such as whiskey, vodka and gin — is also significant in the country.

For the year ended March 31, 2025, spirits maker African Distillers Limited recorded a 7 percent volume growth in spirits over the prior year.

In Zimbabwe, distilled alcoholic beverages typically have an alcohol content ranging between 20 percent and 50 percent.

Furthermore, there have been reports of fake distilled beverages being produced and also being imported into the country.

Delta’s impact on the economy
Regarding the 2,66 million hectolitres of lager produced last year, an 8 percent annual increase is impressive in any sector.

This is despite Delta flagging “prolonged outages of utilities” as a drag on production.

That Delta managed to grow production despite these challenges suggests some level of operational grit.

The rising beer production is good news for the country’s Treasury, which collects taxes on every pint pulled.

During an analyst briefing for the financial year ended March 31, 2025, Delta revealed US$254,15 million in confirmed taxes, consisting of US$230,35 million in indirect taxes (including value-added tax, excise duties and the sugar tax) and US$23,8 million in income tax.

But how much are Zimbabweans actually spending on beer?

Assume, conservatively, that a litre of lager goes for about US$2 at retail.

Multiply that by the total volume — 266 million litres — and one gets a market worth roughly US$532 million.

To put this figure into context, this is more than the anticipated US$461 million in development assistance for the country this year, which is earmarked for HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis prevention, maternal and child health programmes.

It is also bigger than the 2025 National Budget allocation for the construction and rehabilitation of hospitals, clinics and health centres (at ZiG3,5 billion or approximately US$129 million).

Why it matters
Some see this as evidence of rising consumer confidence.

But economist Dr Albert Makochekanwa urges caution.

“Alcohol consumption is an addiction, so it does not necessarily reflect economic growth,” he says.

“Some people will sacrifice essentials just to buy beer.”

But an 8 percent rise in volume suggests that, for some Zimbabweans at least, things are improving — or at least not getting worse.

It also reflects industrial resilience.

Brewing is a capital-intensive business.

The fact that Delta Beverages is growing in this environment hints at smarter investments, better planning, or both.

But Delta’s impact goes beyond the numbers. Beer in Zimbabwe is more than a drink; it is woven into sport and culture, with the Castle Lager brand sponsoring the Premier Soccer League and iconic events like the Castle Tankard, cementing its place in the national story.

Zim’s male drinkers still trail global average
World Bank data (2000 to 2020) show that alcohol consumption among Zimbabwean men (15+ years) has fluctuated but remained below global levels.

Starting at 5,5 litres of pure alcohol per capita in 2000, intake dipped to 4,7 litres by 2007, then surged to 7,3 litres by 2012 — nearly closing the global gap.

However, consumption declined again, reaching 5 litres by 2020.

Globally, men’s consumption rose from 8,1 litres in 2000 to 9,5 litres in 2012, before falling slightly to 8,3 litres in 2020, likely due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Women drink less
Zimbabwean women also saw shifting patterns. Consumption fell from 1,05 litres in 2000 to 0,88 litres in 2007, then rose to 1,4 litres by 2013, before gradually declining and dropping sharply in 2020 — again likely due to pandemic restrictions.

Globally, female consumption was consistently higher, ranging from 2,1 to 2,45 litres, peaking around 2012-2014.

Zimbabwe’s gender gap in alcohol consumption reflects broader socio-economic and cultural trends, with both sexes showing a clear Covid-related dip in 2020.

Dark side of alcohol
Beyond its economic role, excessive alcohol consumption poses serious health risks.

“Despite its prevalence, many overlook the psychiatric consequences,” says mental health expert Dr Murudo Lamhara-Mutape.

“These range from alcohol use disorder to alcohol-induced disorders, caused by changes in brain chemistry. Prolonged heavy use leads to dependence and cravings, often escalating into alcohol use disorder.”

Such effects can be fatal.

The Global Status Report on Alcohol and Health (2024) attributes 2,6 million deaths worldwide to alcohol in 2019, of which two million were men, while 600 000 were women.

While Zimbabwe lacks clear alcohol-related death data, Government estimates link most mental health cases to substance abuse.

The Zimbabwe Multisectoral Drug and Substance Abuse Plan (2024-2030) states that about 60 percent of patients in mental health institutions suffer from drug use disorders.

Zimbabwe’s capacity to manage the mental health burden is limited, with Government psychiatric wards in Harare (Sally Mugabe and Parirenyatwa Annex), Bulawayo (Ingutsheni) and Masvingo (Ngomahuru).

As of May 2024, the Association of Healthcare Funders of Zimbabwe listed 18 private counselling and rehabilitation centres.

Rising alcohol use also has social and economic impacts.

For a country that has significantly reduced new HIV infections — by 81 percent since 2010, according to UNAIDS (2023) and the HIV Estimates Factsheet (2024) — alcohol poses a new threat.

In a 2018 report, WHO warns that harmful alcohol use increases HIV risk through unsafe sex, interferes with treatment and weakens immune responses.

A resurgence could strain public health spending, especially amid declining donor support.

Zimbabwe’s beer boom is a double-edged sword.

While the beer boom has some economic value, without stronger policy enforcement, it risks becoming a costly public health liability.

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE SUNDAY MAIL – https://www.heraldonline.co.zw/zims-beer-boom-economic-lifeline-or-public-health-crisis-2/