A local beer wins national award

With talent being one to celebrate during this time of the year, the country shows exceptional diversity in crafting nothing but the best for locals and tourists alike.

September 22, 2019

Busisiwe Maimela 2 minutes read

Last month, the Zwakala Beer won the title of the best light beer nationally at an award ceremony held in Cape Town at the BeerHouse in Longstreet.

The brewery is located on a farm in the Magoebaskloof mountains where locals and tourists alike go for indulgence in cheese tours, cherry blossom walks and of course end up at the brewery for a cold beer or two.

Katherine Tooley from Zwakala Beer told Letaba Herald what makes the beer so exceptional.

“Zwakala Lager is the Best Light Beer in the country. It is crisp and refreshing, brewed with pure mountain water from the Broederstroom River located high up in the Magoebaskloof Mountains.

The mountain water gives the brew a smooth soft taste that makes one feel at ease,” stated Tooley.

Zwakala, which means ‘Come Closer’ has been described as the convivial African spirit that brings people together.

“I come from a big vivacious family & we live by the motto “the more the merrier”. Craft beer reconnects the consumer to beer that is slow-brewed, locally-owned and full of flavour.

We were excited about the beer trends happening nationwide – and we wanted to start something unique in Limpopo.

Atmosphere with locals and visitors sitting around the garden at the Zwakala brewery.

South Africans are passionate about their country, their braais, and … their beer! Craft breweries are also increasingly being recognised for contributing to local economies and we’ve seen it happening right here in Magoebaskloof,” explained co-founder of the brewery, Luca Tooley when asked why the company was started.

With about four awards to its name and with crafting four core beers, the brewery has become a very popular weekend destination, hosting popular events such as Beer Bingo, Sassy Summer and the Brew-Versary.

“It has been an incredible journey to watch the brewery grow all with the support of locals and visitors.

To celebrate, we host an annual Brewversary.

This year, we had Afro-jazz music from the Charles Brass Band and deep house music from Haenertsburg’s local Dj John, the day was a celebration of all that is South African and all that is local,” excalimed Tooley.

All the events take place at the brewery which is open to the public every Saturday and Sunday from 11:00 to 17:00, offering a full restaurant facility and a family friendly restaurant area with play space for children.

For more information on the beer, the brewery and all they have to offer visit their website on www.zwakalabrewery.com

September 22, 2019

Busisiwe Maimela 2 minutes read

Emelda Tintswalo Shipalana

Tintswalo Shipalana, a journalist for the Letaba Herald, has been in the media industry for over a decade. She started her journey in radio, but ended up in print which is her first love. She joined the Herald newspaper as a cadet in 2016, where she graduated with a journalism qualification from the Caxton Training Academy. She also has a qualification in Feature Writing from the University of Cape Town and a Media Management qualification from Wits University. She is completing her BA Communication Science degree with UNISA. She sleeps well at night knowing she is a voice to the voiceless and her work contributes to promoting local talent, businesses and service delivery. Her love for her community keeps her working hard every day.