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South African Breweries

South African brewer founded in 1895, now recorded as a wholly owned AB InBev group subsidiary.

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Castle Lager sign used as a representative image for Charles Glass
A Castle Lager sign represents Charles Glass’s brewing legacy. It is not a portrait of Glass. Photo: Ossewa / Wikimedia Commons · Source · CC BY 4.0; cropped and resized

SAB is the South African brewing business that traces its corporate origin to 1895. [1][5]

History

Charles Glass supplied the Castle brewing origin and founded the business in 1895. [1]

The company listed in Johannesburg in 1897 and expanded internationally during the 1990s. [3]

AB InBev’s subsidiary list recorded 100% ownership at 31 December 2025. [6]

Ownership and management

The 100% subsidiary record concerns SAB. It is different from ownership of AB InBev. [6][7]

Richard Rivett-Carnac was SAB chief executive and BU president on 7 November 2026. [2]

Frequently asked questions

Who founded SAB?

SAB credits Charles Glass with founding the business in 1895. [1]

Who owns SAB?

AB InBev recorded the company as a 100% subsidiary at 31 December 2025. [6]

Who leads SAB?

Richard Rivett-Carnac was chief executive and BU president on 7 November 2026. [2]

Key milestones

  1. SAB was founded in Johannesburg. [1][3]

  2. SAB listed on the JSE. [3]

  3. The parent group completed the Miller transaction. [4][3]

  4. AB InBev combined with SABMiller. [8]

  5. AB InBev recorded SAB as a 100% subsidiary. [6]

Founded / co-founded by

  • Charles Glass — Brewer credited with Castle Lager and the 1895 founding story of South African Breweries.

Company builders

  • Graham Mackay — South African executive who led SAB’s transformation into the international brewer SABMiller.
  • Richard Rivett-Carnac — Chief executive and business-unit president of South African Breweries.

Related articles

Related institutions

  • Castle Brewery — Johannesburg brewery associated with Charles Glass and the brewing precursor to South African Breweries.
  • SABMiller — Former international brewer created from SAB’s expansion and the 2002 Miller transaction, acquired by AB InBev in 2016.
  • AB InBev — Belgian-listed global brewer that combined with SABMiller in 2016 and now owns the South African operating company.
  • SAB Zenzele Kabili — JSE-listed broad-based black economic empowerment vehicle that holds shares in AB InBev rather than direct equity in SAB.

Sources

  1. South African Breweries, Explore our innovations over the last 130 years. Original source. Accessed 2026-11-07. ↩
  2. South African Breweries, Our leaders. Original source. Accessed 2026-11-07. ↩
  3. SABMiller plc, Annual Report 2016, 2016-06-01. Original source. Accessed 2026-11-07. ↩
  4. SABMiller plc, Annual Report 2008, 2008-06-01. Original source. Accessed 2026-11-07. ↩
  5. Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV, Form 20-F for the year ended 31 December 2025, 2026-03-03. Original source. Accessed 2026-11-07. ↩
  6. Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV, Principal subsidiaries at 31 December 2025, 2026-03-03. Original source. Accessed 2026-11-07. ↩
  7. Stichting Anheuser-Busch InBev, Schedule 13D amendment, 2026-06-05. Original source. Accessed 2026-11-07. ↩
  8. Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV, Our heritage. Original source. Accessed 2026-11-07. ↩