Beer Shortages in South Africa

Amstel and Heineken are in short supply in South Africa as a result of a dispute between Heineken Brewery and a local distributor. The brewery ended a contract with the South African company who made Amstel Lager for over 40 years. When that product disappeared from the shelves, South Africans switched to Heineken Lager, depleting the supply. The future looks grim for South African Amstel lovers. It will be five months before Heineken can build a brewery in the country and get the beer back into stores.

This could potentially be devastating for Heineken. With Amstel off the market that long, consumers may not be willing to switch back.