The drink giants aiming to smash Africa's 'moonshine' tradition Even if the brews are made using conventional ingredients, the unhygienic conditions in which they are sometimes produced frequently lead to fatalities, according to Grant Liversage, head of SAB's operations in Mozambique. SAB believes it has found a credible alternative to illicit moonshine - and at the same time an opportunity to grab a greater slice of the riches on offer in Africa's fast-growing drinks market. Analysts at Sanford C Bernstein estimate the "formal," regulated beer market in Africa is worth almost $11bn (£6.97bn) a year. However, according to research groups Canadean and Euromonitor, the informal or illicit alcohol market is worth three times that. The opportunity to convert homebrew drinkers into potential customers has not gone unnoticed by the drinks majors. SAB, Diageo and Heineken have all introduced lower-cost beers using local ingredients such as sorghum and have been given a seat at the table with African policymakers who are eager to find ways of reducing alcohol-related deaths. "There is a sense among the policy people in government that cheap spirits and delinquent alcohol is a problem and you see that beer is not included in that set," said Mr Liversage. SAB has started producing the world's first low-cost beer made from cassava, a starchy root vegetable. Until recently, it had been largely grown as an emergency crop by farmers and does not have any major commercial use. The brewer has negotiated with the government for a lower rate of excise duty on cassava beer in return for its support of small farmers. In October SAB saw the first cassava-based "Impala" beer roll off the production line. It is taxed at 30pc less than conventional beer and sold at 25 Mozambique (57p) meticals compared with 35 MZN (85p) for a conventional lager. Impala is the result of years of trial and error. In 2009, SAB tested another variety of cassava beer in Angola, only to find it was uneconomic due to the short shelf life of the cassava root. This time, however, the company believes it has technology on its side. Contained within its fleet of three container trucks, which travel out to rural communities, is a device that overcomes the biggest hurdle in cassava beer production: how to stop the fragile root from perishing before it reaches a brewery. Once cassava is out of the ground, it starts to rot after 24 hours. The device turns the fresh cassava into a moist pulp in the fields close to where it has been harvested so that it can be safely transported to SAB's brewery. The trucks are stationed in rural locations for three months at a time, allowing farmers to come and trade their cassava harvest. In seven months Impala has gone from a standing start to a 20pc to 30pc market share in those rural communities in northern Mozambique where home brew was previously dominant. The brewery in Nampula has so far produced close to 4m bottles and Mark Bowman, head of SABMiller Africa, is hoping to roll out the project to other African countries. While the cost of producing Impala is currently no cheaper than brewing a conventional beer, Mr Bowman believes it will eventually prove more cost efficient. But he insists projects such as Impala prove multinational drinks companies are taking more than a profit-driven approach to Africa. We recognise that operating in Africa is not just about being a multi-national, making a profit and leaving. There's nothing more powerful than having several thousand farmers dependent on us for their success.