When the South African Breweries (SAB) Zenzele broad-based black economic empowerment (BBBEE) scheme winds down in April 2020, it will have generated almost R14-billion in value for South Africa, the beermaker said in a statement on Wednesday.

Created with the intention of generating sustainable ownership and economic wealth opportunities for previously disadvantaged groups and redressing historical imbalances, the scheme transferred 8.45% of SAB shares to more than 40 000 shareholders.

Since its inception in 2010, SAB Zenzele has disbursed R4-billion to shareholders, with an additional R9.6-billion to be paid out when it winds down later this year.

Almost 40 000 South African families have benefitted from Zenzele.

SAB Zenzele will run in its current form until the end of March 2020. With empowerment as a key driver and one of the core beliefs of the business, SAB will formally launch its new empowerment scheme, SAB Zenzele Kabili, in April 2020.

The launch event for SAB Zenzele Kabili will take place on February 17, where details of the new BBBEE share scheme will be shared with media and invited guests.

Shareholders of the SAB Zenzele scheme will have multiple options, one of which is to reinvest a portion of their unwind value in the new SAB Zenzele Kabili scheme. Alternative options include to receive proceeds in the form of SAB’s parent company AB InBev shares or to receive their proceeds in cash.

SAB Zenzele is the most prolific scheme in the fast-moving consumer goods sector and one of the country’s most successful empowerment schemes, creating tangible wealth for its three groups of shareholders, SAB said.

Beneficiaries of the scheme are the SAB Zenzele Employee Trust, which holds shares for the benefit of SAB employees; SAB Zenzele Holdings, which holds shares for the benefit of qualifying beer and soft drink retailers; and the SAB Foundation Trust, which supports entrepreneurship projects to benefit low-income communities.

“Looking back at SAB Zenzele’s ten-year record, it is inspiring to see what has been achieved and the economic growth that it has contributed to the country,” SAB and AB InBev mergers, acquisitions and treasury director Richard Rivett-Carnac said.

He explained that, from the outset, SAB Zenzele sought to be genuinely broad-based and to deliver real economic benefits to the lives of thousands of South Africans.

“We are looking forward to carrying SAB Zenzele's legacy forward and continuing our empowerment story into the next decade with the launch of SAB Zenzele Kabili,” Rivett-Carnac said.

He added that the new empowerment scheme would be built on the strengths of SAB Zenzele, incorporating advancements and learnings of the last ten years.