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Imbibers across the Great Dyke are discovering a painful new reality: in 2024, the only thing harder than keeping a job is keeping your favourite lager in your hand.
A mini-survey conducted in Zvishavane, Chivi and Gweru revealed that beer lovers are being squeezed harder than a Castle Lite in a cooler box at a wedding. Prices have shot up:
- Castle Lager: from $1 to $1.50
- Black Label: from $1.50 to $2
- Zambezi & Carling Black Label: missing in action — last seen leaving the fridge at high speed
One patron summed it up:
“Drinking has now become inconvenient. Unless you’re a ZIMSWITCH who drinks anything with bubbles, good luck finding your favourite beer these days.”
The Great Beer Migration
Bar owners say stock shortages have turned them into amateur smugglers.
“We no longer get beer from Delta. We’re buying from the black market,” one tavern owner said. “We’re basically breaking even just to stop customers from rioting.”
Another Chivi bar operator said shortages have become so serious that business owners now drive to Masvingo or Ngundu to restock — costing more money, more fuel, and occasionally, more panel beating.
“Some people have even had accidents while chasing stock. Imagine crashing your car for a crate of Black Label?”
The Group Drinking Crisis
Zimbabwe’s long-honoured tradition of group drinking is also under threat.
Patrons often move in groups of four or five, usually following the friend with the deepest pockets. But the moment that generous buyer discovers that Zambezi and Black Label are out, the entire squad relocates like a migrating herd of thirsty buffalo.
“We lose customers just like that,” a bar attendant said. “One guy can’t find his brand and suddenly five grown men vanish.”
Delta’s Response: “We Misjudged Your Thirst”
Delta Beverages CEO Matlhogonolo Valela recently admitted that the company underestimated demand.
“The economy surprised us with robust demand. We’re running almost optimally with no room for error.
We wish we could commission a new plant next month — we got the timing wrong.”
In simple terms: Zimbabweans are drinking faster than Delta can brew.
To fix the crisis, Delta is expanding production in Bulawayo and upgrading its Harare brewery, moves expected to boost output by almost one-third.
Valela said this expansion will give the company “enough breathing space” — hopefully enough to prevent another national beer drought that forces adults to drink mysterious village concoctions.
Festive Season Forecast: “Drink Less or Drink Cheaper”
With December around the corner, many patrons are already adjusting their survival plans:
- Switching to cheaper brands
- Drinking less
- Pretending they’re on a health detox
- Blaming the economy while sniffing someone else’s bottle
And with prices rising across the country, beer lovers say their disposable income is evaporating faster than a cold Zambezi on a hot day.
But if there’s one thing Zimbabweans have proven over the years, it’s this:
Recession or no recession, the Great Dyke will always find a reason — and a way — to raise a glass.
