Several South African alcohol-related companies have turned back to making hand sanitiser to make ends meet and support their staff during the lockdown.
South Africa (22 January 2021) – When South Africa went into its first hard lockdown, South African alcohol producers shifted gears and started using their facilities to make hand sanitisers. This was done to keep a flow of income coming in so businesses wouldn’t fold.
We reported in December that South Africa exported hand sanitiser to the value of R1.6 Billion within just 6 months last year. Between June and November 2020, permits for the export of hand sanitisers to 30 other African countries totalled R1,66 billion. These included exports to Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Mozambique and Botswana.
Now that the country is back in a stricter lockdown and alcohol sales have been banned once again, these same companies are doing everything to stay afloat.
Smith’s Gin, a local craft gin maker, reached out to share that they were adapting to the lockdown and trying to keep their staff on the payroll by manufacturing 70% hand sanitisers which they sell in 1 litre, 5 litres and bulk options. The company relies heavily on producing and selling their craft gins, but they will do what they can to stay open. Aside from selling sanitiser, they also have cloth face masks sporting their branding.
This story isn’t unique to Smith’s Gin. There are hundreds of small businesses in the alcohol industry that are desperate to adapt and keep their doors open.
While the sale of alcohol isn’t permitted, you can do a few things to support these small businesses during this time. If you know of a company that has adapted to survive, purchase their goods.
If a company hasn’t adapted and is waiting out the lockdown, you can still purchase alcohol for delivery once the ban is over. What have your favourite companies been doing to stay afloat during this time? Let us know in the comment section; their next customer could be reading the comments!
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