Converting bars into beer-collection points and staggering liquor-store opening hours: Just two of the proposals put to South Africa’s government by drinks makers desperate to lift a 50-day ban on alcohol sales.
Industry leaders met with government officials on Friday and had “open-minded, collaborative and constructive talks” about how to resume trading alongside a broader easing of a lockdown to contain the coronavirus, Richard Rushton, chief executive officer of wine and spirits maker Distell Group Holdings Ltd., said in an interview. Alcoholic drinks may be available by the end of the month, he said, though details on how to trade safely have yet to be finalized.
