As the list of the countries with the highest alcohol consumption was recently released, and Mzansi ranked in the top 50, the alcohol business is clearly quite lucrative.
Part of the celebrity lifestyle often includes a lot of partying, with a lot of drinking, and celebrities often wind up being brand ambassadors for alcohol companies. Who said work can't be fun?
These celebrities saw the opportunity and dove into the alcohol business, launching their own booze brands or acquiring existing companies.
MacG
This list would be amiss if we didn’t start with Mzansi’s favourite podcaster, MacG. He received an outpouring of support when he went into the alcohol business with the Grandeur Gin brand.
MacG often has a bottle of the alcohol on Podcast and Chill with MacG, and it gets a lot of free marketing. In fact, tweeps are convinced that it is laced with some sort of truth serum, which is how he manages to get celebrities to spill their own secrets with a simple question.
It is all in good fun though; we don’t think anybody actually believes MacG has laced his booze. Either way, that is great marketing, as his podcast is certainly the most beloved platform of its kind in the country, and week after week, it gives Grandeur some great airtime.
He launched Nero Wine, in partnership with Bosman Family Vineyards. If anyone doubted that he would be successful in his venture, he proved them wrong soon after, as the brand was soon nominated for the 2021 Drinks Business Awards. We’re talking about levels!
Actress and media personality Khanyi Mbau launched her gin, I Am Khanyi, in 2018. At the time, she envisioned creating something that would bring the country together, after the tough rollercoaster of a year it was.
She said gin was her drink of choice to venture into because of its versatility. It is broad in mixology and allows everyone to be creative. She further saw the opportunity in the gin industry, which is always growing in Mzansi. We stan an entrepreneur!
Mzansi heartthrob Bonang Matheba was among the first female ZAlebs to venture into the alcohol business. In 2020, House of BNG, her exclusive brand of champagne, was crowned Woolworths’ best-seller MCC.
With her MCC, Queen B became the first black woman to join the Cap Classique Producers Association. Her goal with the brand was to produce something elegant and luxurious, a goal she clearly succeeded at. We expected nothing less. She is Queen B after all.
The queen of the afro, the Real Black Pearl, also has one of the most booming alcohol businesses by ZAlebs. It would seem that they all know something about gin that we don't, because that is exactly what Pearl unleashed too.
With her gin, Black Rose, Pearl has shared with us both her passion for mixology and her astute business sharps. The drink comes in three different flavours, and is in stock at Take A Lot. She often shares pictures and videos of cocktails she makes using the gin, and all we can do is wait for the recipes because those look lovely!
Rapper Cassper Nyovest is establishing himself as a formidable businessman, so naturally, he could not be left out of the alcohol industry. He launched his premium drink Billiato, which he refuses to describe as a gin, but everyone considers a gin anyway.
In an astounding show of business prowess and flexing money muscles, Cassper was recently locked in a hot battle with Andile Mpisane over their luxury McLaren cars. To resolve it, Andile bought out all available Billiato stock at Konka, ending the beef with hugs between the two of them. Now that is class!
DJ Zinhle, as the visionary mother and kickass entrepreneur that she is, has been focused on building an empire for her two children. Which is why it came as no surprise when she bought majority shares in alcohol company Boulevard Nectar Rosè, making her its CEO.
Her goal for the acquisition was to add that characteristic Zinhle flair to the brand, and take the company to greater heights. She is sophisticated, and she was passionate about having a brand that reflects that, which is what she found in Boulevard.
After being called ‘controversial’ enough times, The Voice of Africa finally chose to lean into the title like the boss she is. Which is why she created her own brand of alcohol, Controversy Gin.
Her hook when she launched the brand was that she was officially making controversy taste good, and if that isn’t brilliant marketing, we don’t know what is. It is surprising, though, that she has since tried to quit alcohol for apparently not liking what it does to her. How would she convince fans to buy her drink if she can’t take it herself?
But then again, she is Kelly Khumalo, so marketing may not be a problem for her.
Boity Thulo
Boity Thulo is the owner and main marketer the premium Peach Frizzante BT Signature. She launched the brand only recently, but so far, it has become a favourite, particularly among influencers and others who love the luxury life.
The rapper recently came under fire for the alcohol prices, which many fans thought were ridiculous. In fact, many were ready to boycott the brand in support of Bonang's House Of BNG, which they considered much more reasonably priced.
Clearly, all these ZAlebs have a great eye for gaps in the market, and the cojones to try to fill them. We aspire to their business sense, and thank them for doing their part to spice up the party scene in the country. We all know how tough the lockdown was with the alcohol sale restrictions, right?
