...to The Ubuntu Kraal Brewery in Orlando West Ext, Soweto.
...this is how it all started...
MadMead Brewing Co. owns and operates the Ubuntu Kraal Brewery - Home of Soweto Gold and is set to usher in a new era in the South African liquor industry – producing the first regional township-branded clear craft beer targeting the aspiring black middle class.
In the shadow of the brewing giants, we have found an opportunity and a regional premium thirst never before quenched.
Ubuntu Kraal Brewery will brew a number of proprietary regional craft beers under the name “Soweto Gold” - ready for distribution in Soweto, Johannesburg in early 2014.
In 2015 we will add an additional range of unique and distinctively regional, yet universally quaffable and playful craft beers under catchy and appropriate proprietary brands.
MadMead Brewing Co. owns the excusive rights to manufacture and distribute beer under the proprietary trademarks “Soweto Gold”.
MadMaster Brewer
NDUMISO M. MADLALA
CBO - Chief Beer Officer
A native of Natal, Ndumiso’s career really took off at Norit in the Netherlands where he was a junior engineer, testing the filterability of beer using a revolutionary membrane filter.
On his return to South Africa, Ndumi joined the brewing giant SABMiller as Project Engineer. He submerged himself in his job and was soon thereafter promoted to Area Manager at the Brutal Fruit plant in Chamdor…but he missed his liquid love ‘Amber’ and when Heineken opened their new brewery, they whisked him away to open their Sedibeng Brewery. In his role as Project Brewer he developed the brewery organization, recruited the brewery personnel, did the technical training of new recruits, the integration of Heineken’s stringent international standards with the new brewery organization, the start-up of various process plants, commissioning of various plants and the implementation of quality systems. Again his liquid talent coupled with his organizational drive and acumen awarded him with a promotion to Brewing Manager, responsible for managing the brewhouse, cellars, filtration, utilities and ready-to-drink production units.
His passion and ingenuity and foremost his love for beer is well known in the industry and SABMiller got their claws into Ndumiso again and literally stole him back as Consultant/Process Engineer where he was responsible for conducting process capability studies on filtration and brewinf processes as well as drafting proposals on process engineering improvements to achieve quality standards on all beer brands.
Ndumiso left SABMiller in September 2013 to pursue his passion for brewing and beer as a Founder and majority shareholder of MadMead Brewing Co..
Academic qualifications:
Diploma in Brewing – Institute of Brewing & Distilling (London)
BSc Chemical Engineering – University of KZN
MSc Chemical Engineering – University of Twente Enschede (Netherlands)
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The 'Soweto Gold' Brand Explained
Excerpts from a recent chat with –
Ndumiso Madlala - MadMaster Brewer and Chief Beer Officer at MadMead Brewing Co. the brand owner of the Soweto Gold brand and;
Sello Ditjoe - Sowetan-born brand architect, graphic designer and creator of the Soweto Gold brand from Tintsumi (www.tintsumi.co.za)
Q: Ndumiso, we have all recently heard and read about your Sowetan brewery start-up and your new beer venture, but why the name – “Soweto Gold”?
Ndumiso: The name “Soweto Gold” was obvious from the start, “Soweto” being the home of the brewery and “Gold” being the very reason for the existence of Soweto as we know and love it today. Also the connotation of “Gold” as a label depicts something valuable and precious. It shows that Soweto Gold is a premium product. Or, as we prefer to call it a ‘Superior’ product.
Q: Yes, I noticed on your website – www.sowetogold.co.za – you call your beer a ‘Superior Lager’ rather than a ‘Premium Lager’. Why is that?
Ndumiso: I love beer. I love good beer and I love great beer. The word ‘Premium’ is so frequently abused by the marketing departments of the big breweries. For example, if a laborer shares a beer with his friends after work – it’s considered ‘a beer of the people’ but if now suddenly the marketing department decides to reposition the same beer to premium, they will hire a golfing pro to pose with the beer and suddenly it’s premium and aspirational. Or they will change the packaging and serve the same beer in a fancy green bottle, maybe wrap the neck in gold foil and increase the price. There we go – it’s premium.
Soweto Gold is not premium in this sense – not as a marketing positioning statement. It is our aim to make Soweto Gold superior – in taste, in craftsmanship – in its universal quaffability steeped in Sowetan passion.
Ultimately our beer drinkers must decide if they feel in their throats and hearts if they feel that Soweto Gold is just another beverage or if it is superior, premium or special?
Q: So, Sello – you are from Soweto and the creative brain behind the Soweto Gold logo and brand, tell us a bit about yourself.
Sello: I was actually born right here at Baragwaneth Hospital in 1981. I grew up in Naledi and later my family settled in Chiawelo. Soweto is my home and my heart.
I studied Art & Design in Parktown College and fell in love with photography and graphic design. Now I work together with an inspirational and talented team at Tintsumi. We are a multidisciplinary transformational creative ideas agency based in Johannesburg. We are committed to designing creative experiences that inspire consumers through compelling thought-provoking communications. We live to help brands, such as Soweto Gold, achieve top-of-mind relevance through edgy design and branding architecture.
Soweto Gold was a challenge I immediately embraced and it is a true work of love and Sowetan passion.
Q: Tell us about the imagery used in the logo. Some are traditional and others seem a bit more unconventional for a beer logo.
Sello: That is correct, the brand features the classic imagery of beer ingredients such as the green hops and golden malt. Two proud male lions stand to protect the SG (Soweto Gold) icon. In the lower part of the brand we have included a five-pointed red shaded star, as a sign of quality and symbolizing five fingers – meaning handcrafted beer. We flanked the red star with the fruits of Soweto – gold bullion.
The key iconographic element is the ‘Amandla’ closed fist. Very early in the creative process we discussed the use of the ‘closed fist’ as one of the key elements of the brand.
While this symbol may conjure images of aggression and pro-revolutionary tendencies for some, we firmly believe that this image, for South Africans, resounds emotionally with the positive aspects of the struggle and our victory – the solidarity, the tenacity and the determination of the people around one common goal – freedom and justice for all.
The Soweto Gold fist commemorates the struggle of the Sowetan people, our ideals and the leaders of our past struggle – yet at the same time hopes to unify around a new cause – the first majority black-owned township micro-brewery. Symbolically, it should also be noted that the Soweto Gold fist is not a black fist, nor is it white, colored or Asian – it is colorless in as much as it shows all our fists combined as one people.
Ndumiso: And don’t forget, that the closed fist or the hand, also shows that this is hand crafted beer. A natural product, made by South African hands to be enjoyed by all South African throats. All South African throats of legal drinking age of course.
The launch of our Soweto Brewery will coincide with the 20-year anniversary of freedom and democracy – we feel that the imagery in the logo pays homage to this milestone.
We had long discussions about the color scheme of the logo. Initially I felt that I wanted the logo to include all colors of the South African flag but in execution it didn’t feel right.
Now Soweto Gold is red, green, gold, white and black and if your raise your Soweto Gold to the clear blue South African sky – you complete the color scheme.
The reactions to the logo are overwhelming and emotional. Soweto Gold clearly resounds with the Sowetan spirit and calls for a township craft beer revolution. AMANDLA SOWETO GOLD!
Q: The Soweto Gold cans look amazing. I noticed the wording “Brewed for millennia – perfected in Soweto”. What does that mean?
Ndumiso: Chemical tests of ancient pottery jars reveal that beer was produced about 7,000 years ago in Egypt and Iran. So we don't claim that we invented beer - it's a fact – beer in various forms has been brewed for millennia. With Soweto Gold we hope that we have advanced the art of brewing almost to perfection.
Q: I see you have put a spin on the warning label also, why is that?
Ndumiso: We take the packaging instructions and the warning label very seriously. As a matter of fact we sent the label to the ARA - Industry Association for Responsible Alcohol Use for it to be approved before print.
But the idea came to me when I was flying with Kulula – you know how they put a funny twist on the emergency announcements? Well, I though it was clever and it actually made me pay attention. So we added a little twist of our own to our warning labels to create awareness and maybe a smile around a serious subject.
Q: Clever. And I see, that the lip of the Soweto Gold can says “Soweto Kiss” – what does that mean?
Ndumiso: Maybe you know of a famous South African beer brand that promises a kiss of a certain hop? I don’t want to smooch something bitter, I rather send my thirsty brothers and sisters a sweet kiss of a Sowetan beauty. Cheers!
The brewing of beer is an ancient African craft performed by the female members of the family. MadMead Brewery will revive the age-old traditions by training only female master brewers.
The MadMead Brewery will be a active member of ARA (Association for Responsible Alcohol Use) and a contributing member in the community.
GOLDEN MADMEAD MILESTONES
October 2012 MadMead Brewing Co. was incorporated
October 2012 Soweto Gold was registered as a Trade Mark
November 2012 www.sowetogold.co.za was registered
Jan-April 2013 home test brew… and lots of tasting
August 2013 MadMead Brewing Co. directors travel to Jinan, China to meet with brewery manufacturers and technology partners
18 August 2013 MadMead Brewing Co. buys a 20HL brewery plant from Zhongde Equipment Co LTD Shandong, Jinan, China
August 2013 MadMead Brewing Co. sign a conditional lease for a warehouse at the Ubuntu Kraal, Orlando West, Soweto
September 2013 MadMead Brewing Co. enters into a production partnership with a regional quality micro-brewery - Nottingham Road Brewery - to produce under license
07 October 2013 MadMead Brewing Co. launches the Soweto Gold brand and logo
October 2013 MadMead Brewing Co. enters into an exclusive co-marketing and retail distribution agreement with Shoprite & Checkers Liquor Stores
17 October 2013 MadMead Brewing Co. launches Soweto Gold to the media at Nambitha Restaurant in Vilakasi Street, Orlando West, Soweto
18 October 2013 MadMead Brewing Co. makes the front page of the Sowetan
November 2013 MadMead Brewing Co. launches Soweto Gold to the public at the Soweto Beer Festival
November 2013 MadMead Brewing Co. launch Soweto Gold – Superior Lager in an iconic 400ml can into retail at selected Shoprite Liquor Stores in Soweto and sell out on the first day
November 2013 MadMead Brewing Co. and Soweto Gold are featured on eNCA, SowetoTV, USAToday TV (USA), TV5 (French speaking), BBC UK + BBC SA, Talk702…etc.
November 2013 MadMead Brewing Co. installs the first two Soweto Gold taps outside of Soweto…in Sandton
Dec-Jan 2013 Soweto Gold sold out!
February 2014 MadMead Brewing Co. is awarded a Micro-manufacturing License for the Ubuntu Kraal site
February 2014 Soweto Gold is mentioned amongst "The Top 10 Best Craft Beers in South Africa 2014" by the League Of Beers
April - July 2014 we are busy installing the UBuntu Kraal Brewery at our home - the UBuntu Kraal Village, Orlando West Ext, Soweto
July / August 2014 first own batch of Soweto Gold brewed at the new brewery
September 2014 the Kasi Beergarden opens at the uBuntu Kraal Brewery
November 2014 Soweto Gold is sold in Cape Town and Durban
January 2015 MadMead Brewing Co is features in FORBES AFRICA and Ndumiso Madlala is featured in PBS News Hour in USA
Febaruary 2015 launch of Soweto Gold - Orlando Stout
February 2015 Soweto Gold is sold in over 45 outlets in Gauteng
March 2015 production reaches 25 000 litres per month
April - 'Best Selling Beer' at Taste of Cape Town & Consol Craft Revolution, Emerald Casino
April 2015 record sales for Soweto Gold $$$$
in November 2015 production capacity will be doubled to 60 000 litres / month
…the FUTURE IS BREWING BRIGHT...
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