A new beer was
just for Onitsha. Nigerians like larger-than-
names: the country’s
brand is called Star; SAB named its beer Hero. Its
features the rising sun, an icon of the local Igbo people. SAB uses such symbolism in other African
to give its beers a
identity. “People badge themselves with beer,” says Alan Clark, the company’s overall boss. “It has an
content.” The firm’s brand in Zambia is Mosi, the local name for Victoria Falls; the label
the frothing waterfall. In Tanzania its
-selling beer is Kilimanjaro. Each ale has a distinct taste. Hero is brewed with fewer hops than a European lager. This gives it a
bitter, more refreshing taste that is suitable for a
climate. It also makes the beer more “sessionable”: people can drink
of it.