When consumed in moderation, beer and other alcoholic drinks in our portfolio can be part of a well-balanced lifestyle. We are proud brewers committed to promoting responsible consumption and reducing the harmful use of alcohol. We think it is important that consumers are well-informed about alcohol, our products and how they can be enjoyed responsibly. We make sure to emphasize this on our packaging, in our advertising and promotions and through our partnerships. We offer a wide range of drinks at varying Alcohol by Volume (ABV), including more and more no-alcohol and low-alcohol options.
Consuming alcohol is an individual choice. Personal risks and benefits should be considered before consumption. Some evidence has shown that there is a relationship between alcohol consumption and certain health issues. Alcohol affects different people in different ways. For some people also moderate alcohol consumption may increase certain health risks such as cardiovascular issues, diabetes, and certain types of cancer. If you have further questions or concerns, please contact your doctor.
Excessive consumption of alcohol can create dangerous long-term consequences such as physical dependence or addiction to alcohol and should always be avoided. Some people should never drink. For example, people who are below the legal drinking age, pregnant, about to drive or operate machinery, or cannot control their drinking.
Many governments publish recommended drinking guidelines for consumers to reference. Public health authorities also provide a great source of information. To learn more about alcohol and health, we recommend visiting the following sources:
Our Responsible Marketing Code guides everyone at Heineken Beverages who is involved in marketing and selling our products to ensure we do not contribute to excessive consumption or misuse.
Heineken Beverages complies with the Advertising Standards Authority of South Africa’s (ASA) Code of Advertising Practice and the Industry Association for Responsible Alcohol Use (ARA) who promotes self-regulation of the alcohol industry.
We define commercial communications as all activities carried out to market our brands (alcoholic and any non-alcoholic versions of alcoholic brands). This includes: all advertising, the brand name, product descriptor, packaging and labelling, digital and mobile phone communication, sponsorships, product placement, promotions (on & off-trade) and point of sale materials.
As an industry leader we implement a consistent, effective approach to encourage responsible drinking behavior and attitude toward alcohol, and actively discourage alcohol abuse. In so doing, we play an active role to support the reduction of irresponsible drinking.
We encourage our employees to be ambassadors for responsible alcohol consumption and taking ownership and responsibility for their personal alcohol use.
Namibia Breweries implemented EduDrink - a workplace alcohol information and prevention program - that aims to improve safety and health at work, ensure responsible alcohol consumption and create awareness, commitment, and ambassadorship among employees.
Industry can be a valuable partner to encourage responsible drinking. The combined impact of brewers working together to address common issues is more powerful and, in some cases, has greater impact than companies acting alone.
Industry groups, governments, non-government organizations, consumer groups, police forces, legislators, retailers, bar and pub owners and community groups all have a valuable role to play in encouraging responsible consumption.
We work with brewers on a global, regional and market level on joint initiatives to promote responsible consumption. We also cooperate with the wider alcohol industry on a global level and in many markets.
We work with others to encourage responsible behavior and attitudes towards alcohol while addressing alcohol-related harm. It has been recognized by the World Health Organization that brewers can effectively contribute to reducing alcohol related harm.
We currently have partnerships with a variety of NGO and third parties to address different areas of alcohol-related harm.