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SA's 1st Black Lady Brewer Crippling Under Pressure of the Alcohol Ban

Tuesday, January 26, 2021 at 7:33 PM by Marilynn Manuel

- South Africa's first black female brewer's business is crippling under the pressure of the lengthy alcohol ban

- Speaking in an interview recently, the young woman said that she may not be able to pay back the loans she made to keep her business afloat during this time

- She also fears that the 8 people she employs will suffer should her business not make it

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Apiwe Nxusani-Mawela the first black female brewer in South Africa recently spoke out about how the alcohol ban has affected her business in a way that it will be hard for it to survive, even if the ban is lifted now.

Speaking during a heartbreaking interview, Apiwe says that she had taken out millions of rands loans in 2020 to help her keep her business afloat when the full impact of Covid-19 first hit South Africa.

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"2020 was the worst year ever for me. Government grants don’t fund the alcohol industry, so I got a loan. The biggest heartache for me is that I owe millions. I put my house, my everything – the future of my kids depend on me, what if I can’t pay this back," she says sadly in an CapeTalk article.

SA's 1st Black Lady Brewer Crippling Under Pressure of the Alcohol Ban — Apiwe worries about the fate of her business. Image: Brewsterscraft
Source: UGC

She also mentions how the 8 people she employs and their families will also be affected should her business go down under - and it might just if the alcohol ban persists for even a bit longer in the country.

Her only hope is that the government decides to open up the sales of alcohol for offsite consumption that will alleviate some of the added pressure alcohol makers and outlets are experiencing at this time.

In other Briefly.co.za news, the alcohol ban during the adjusted level 3 of lockdown is making it difficult for restaurants to make money during the pandemic. Restaurant owners are now set to protest against the government for closing down alcohol sales.