The South African Breweries (SAB) company controls the vast majority of the South African beer market. With the notable exception of imported brands such as Heineken, Guinness and others, SAB owns and produces all the major brands in the republic.

South African beer has three main influences or origins. The first is the Dutch influence, brought to the Republic by Dutch settlers, now known as Afrikaners. The second influence is English, brought to South Africa by the British. The third, and perhaps most important, influence to the local breweries comes from the black or native population, including groups as the Sotho and Zulu, as these groups of people traditionally brewed a form of beer with sorghum and maize long before any Europeans arrived.

The most popular and valuable brand is Castle Lager, an SAB brand, which has a warm and heady taste. The taste of the brand is often disputed in popular magazines. Jo'burg beer, an independent and low-priced beverage, is dominant with groups of lower income, and incorporates the traditional tastes around before the arrival of the Europeans.