Earlier today, Diageo confirmed plans to take full control of UB Group's United National Breweries. The Guinness producer will pay an initial US$22m for the 50% of the South African sorghum beer producer it does not already own. Here are some facts on United National Breweries:
- The Midrand, South Africa-based group began life as a number of scattered breweries under the control of various development boards, municipalities and management boards. In 1990, the operations were bought under the control of Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) by a directive of the South African Government. It operated under the name of National Sorghum Breweries
- In 1996, India's UB Group took a 30% stake in the firm, then took full control before the end of the century
- In 2000, United National Breweries, as it became known, acquired the beer business of Traditional Beer Investments, a subsidiary of South African Breweries (SAB)
- UNB operates four breweries across South Africa and one maltings plant
- The firm's sorghum beer brands include: Chibuku (the company refers to this as the 'Beer of Africa'), Ijuba Special, Ijuba Blue, Leopard Special
- UNB's chairman is currently listed as UB Group's Vijay Mallya. The brewer's MD & CEO is Rajan Ranganthan, who has worked for the UB Group since 1982
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