While some regions are only now discovering cider as a trendy drink, the fermented and alcoholic apple juice has a long tradition in other countries: In the United Kingdom and Ireland in particular, the specialty has been very popular since the time of Julius Caesar. On his retreat from the Anglo-Saxons, the emperor took the refreshment with him to Rome and ensured that it spread throughout much of Europe. The regionally different forms of the drink developed accordingly diversely: The French, for example, preferred sweeter dessert apples as a raw material and brewed their low-alcohol cider from them. The English, on the other hand, relied entirely on cider apples, which are too bitter, sharp or sour to be enjoyed unprocessed. In terms of tartness, however, Germany is ahead: In Hesse in particular, there is a veritable apple wine culture around the so-called “Ebbelwoi” with its 5 to 8 percent alcohol by volume, recognized by UNESCO as an intangible cultural heritage in 2022. However, the British are once again responsible for the worldwide triumph in modern times: from their empire, cider spread in the 19th and 20th centuries to the most remote colonies and the later Commonwealth – in addition to India, Canada and Australia, also to South Africa, where it is still one of the most popular thirst quenchers today.
African cider giant
The market leader there is Distell, one of the leading beverage manufacturers on the entire continent and, according to its own information, the second largest cider producer in the world. Created at the end of 2000 through the merger of the Stellenbosch Farmers’ Winery with the Distillers Corporation, the company produces wine, spirits, cider and RTDs. The last two categories alone accounted for around 55 percent of production in 2021, accounting for more than a third of sales of over 1.2 billion euros.
The portfolio consists of several brands: In addition to Hunter’s, Extreme and Bernini, the premium product line Savanna is particularly popular with domestic consumers and in various international markets: Available as Savanna Dry, in an alcohol-free and a light version, and flavored with lemon or chili, the product is bottled in 330 and 500 milliliter glass bottles with crown caps, which are sold individually or in packs of up to six bottles.
The brand uses a lively, witty sense of humor in its tone to convey the drink’s fresh character. For example, at the height of the coronavirus pandemic, when people in South Africa had to deal with closed restaurants and bars, curfews, and months-long bans on alcohol sales, the idea of the Savanna Virtual Comedy Bar was born: Here, you could meet up with friends on Zoom every week and interact with comedians over a cider. Comedy specials were also held every two weeks and streamed on Savanna’s social media channels. On the one hand, the measure supported the entertainers who had become unemployed due to the closure of cultural institutions. On the other hand, it quickly developed into a huge cult that cheered South Africans up during this difficult time and at the same time helped the brand double its sales volume within a year. The decisive factor was the non-alcoholic version, launched just months before Covid-19. Many consumers of other beverage categories turned to it because of its aroma, which was indistinguishable from the original. Once they got a taste for it, they stayed. Today, Savanna is considered the most popular brand in South Africa.
Socially responsible
But Distell also focuses on social responsibility in other ways: beyond the financial goals of its stakeholders, a wide range of CSR activities are an integral part of the company’s strategy. For example, programs are set up to reduce harmful alcohol consumption, information is provided about the consequences of driving while under the influence of alcohol, vaccination campaigns are implemented, young people are supported on their journey, and the role of women is strengthened. Together with innovative marketing concepts and high-quality products, this commitment ensures broad acceptance and a high level of identification among consumers. This in turn pays off in hard cash – and in the fact that production can sometimes barely keep up with demand.
This makes it all the more important to have a technology partner that you can rely on 100 percent when it comes to the urgently needed expansion of your capacities. Distell has had such a relationship with the Dortmund-based system provider KHS for around 20 years: During this time, numerous systems have been installed in Stellenbosch near Cape Town as well as in Wadeville and Springs near Johannesburg, including two turnkey canning lines and three glass lines as well as numerous fillers, packers and process engineering units in the recent past. Of the total of 36 lines that the beverage manufacturer currently operates in South Africa, a third is reserved for Savanna – most of them at the site in Springs.
Indispensable partner
“However, it is not just our first-class machines and smooth installation and commissioning processes that have established us as an indispensable partner for Distell,” emphasizes Leroy Thangamuthu, Managing Director of KHS South Africa. “As long as we work together, it is above all our service technicians who ensure that the systems continue to produce with the usual reliability and quality. It is thanks to them that our equipment can be used with consistently optimal availability. This is what has earned us a status as the first choice among technology providers.”
The latest example of cooperation is directly related to the increasing demand for the Savanna brand. This is a glass line with an output of up to 60,000 330-milliliter bottles per hour. “It was important to us to increase our output by 30 percent in the shortest possible time,” explains Sharief Gallie, who as Head of Manufacturing South Africa is responsible for all production in the country. “December is the height of summer for us and therefore the peak season for cider. KHS was the only supplier who could promise us that the machines would be ready for delivery within seven and a half months. All other suppliers would have needed at least five months longer.” The speed envisaged was previously considered hardly possible in the industry, Gallie recalls. It is therefore not surprising that top management could not believe their ears when the plans were presented to them for a decision. The long-standing trust and reliability of the Dortmund-based company ultimately dispel any doubts. The company is all the more satisfied when the project is completed within the promised timeframe and even exceeds the agreed performance figures. The only real challenge lies outside of KHS’s sphere of influence: the supply of glass bottles temporarily comes to a standstill due to corona-related outages in the industry and supply chain problems, so that alternatives have to be considered locally and around 15 million liters are ultimately filled into cans. When new Covid infections in South Africa drop significantly at the end of 2021 and everything goes according to plan, 25 million liters of cider are bottled in December alone – more than ever before in a month.
Labeling that inspires
The line includes a depalletizer, a rinser, the filler, flash pasteurizer, warmer, two packaging machines – a shrink packer and a tray packer – and a robot palletizer. Gallie is particularly impressed by the performance of the two KHS Innoket Neo Flex labeling machines: “We have been used to getting sophisticated, cutting-edge technology and absolute reliability from KHS for many years. But the speed and reliability we experience with these two machines has really impressed me. I can talk shop for hours about the great design. But the most meaningful thing is always the feedback from the operators about their experiences with the technology. And when it is as positive as in this case, you know you have purchased a really good machine.”
Despite all his satisfaction, Gallie sees no reason to sit back and do nothing. The new disposable glass line is far from the end of the filling and packaging capacity: In view of the continuing sharp increase in demand, further projects are being considered together with KHS, a ninth line for Springs and a canning line for Stellenbosch, to add another chapter to both Savanna’s success story and the joint partnership.
www.khs.com
