Enjoying a ‘sundowner’ or two in Africa after a day of game viewing is a long standing tradition; and beer is often the drink of choice.
Tusker from Kenya and Castle from South Africa may be well known outside of their home territories, but for anyone who is headed to southern or eastern Africa on a safari, here is my list of top 17 beers to seek out at sundowner time. The only caveat I throw in here is that THB is not the best tasting beer. It deserves to be in the middle of this list, but it is my sentimental favourite, thus gets special treatment. (I’d love to get my hands on some more if anyone knows where to find it in Canada or the US!)
If trying 17 different beers while you’re on safari is a bit too ambitious, stick to the top nine, as they’re a great mix of styles of tastes. Anything below Kuche Kuche was satisfying and thirst-quenching, but after months of ‘research’ on my travels around Africa I can say you won’t be missing out on much if you skip over them.
- THB or Three Horses Beer pilsener, from Madagascar
- Laurentina Preta, a dunkel from Mozambique
- Castle Milk Stout, from South Africa
- Hansa pilsener, from Namibia
- Mosi lager, from Zambia
- Carlsberg brown, a dark lager from Malawi
- Windhoek lager, from Namibia
- Ndovu lager, from Tanzania
- Kuche Kuche lager by Carlsberg, from Malawi
- Ice pilsner, from Tanzania
- Tusker lager, from Kenya
- Safari lager, from Tanzania
- Carlsberg lager, from Malawi
- Queen lager, from Madagascar
- Serengeti lager, from Tanzania
- Kilimanjaro lager, from Tanzania
- Castle lager, from South Africa
Happy drinking in Africa. Did I miss your favourite African beer? Let me know!
Good post and one of my favourite beers in Africa is from Namibia – Its Tafel Lager. I like Castle Lager (which now is global and sold in India as one of the hottest selling beer brands) and Tusker too is awesome 🙂
Tafel Lager? Ok….it’s now on my must-try list. A good reason to return to Africa and take another safari, haha.
I agree with Abhishek, Tafel Lager is the most consumed beer in Namibia as it is the favorite beer in the country and if you had tried it. It definitely would have been your number 1, no doubt
Is this the only picture of you on your blog? Fix that 🙂
And Tusker was all we drank when I was in Kenya a decade ago. I didn’t know there were other options!
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Thanks cassie for sampling tusker when in Kenya,its truely a Gold award brand
Nile Special from Uganda! Mmmm. For SAB beers, I kinda like the Hansa Marzen gold (after the milk stout). Nice beer tour. 🙂
I’ll have to look for Nile Special whenever I get to Uganda Shara…thanks for the tip!
Just returned form 2 weeks in Zambia, where the wife and I fell in love with Mosi. I’d love to get my hands on some here.
Ahhh, I haven’t had a Mosi for a long time Rusty….would be great to get more African beers at home, even if half of them are just generic lagers, it’s a nice way to reminisce.
You need to try Primus or Turbo King from Rwanda in East Africa then i bet u will correct the mentioned list..
Great, will definitely look those up next time I am in the area!! Thanks Enock.
a must try while in africa is zambezi from Zimbabwe and Banjul from the gambia both are very worthy of a try
Good to know for next time James….thanks for the beer tips!
nice one…but have you tribed Chibuku?…it is a traditional drink…it is well beloved all over Africa…
…best regards
Ahhh, sorghum beer! No, I missed out on it and need to try it next time I head to Africa. Always good to have a reason to return 😉
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I seek beer cans empty from Tonga-Sudan- South Sudan- Malawi-Mauretania? Burundi? Central Africa? Equatorial-Guinea? SeySchelles i pay good money
I think a Cold Windhoek Draught from Namibia is my favourite drink. Try it and let me know.
I would love to try an African beer!
I’m glad you have Mosi Lager on the list! I miss Mosi! I spent time in Zambia during the summer from 1988 to 1990. I got to try Mosi and others on your list like Castle and Tusker. Mosi was the best of the three and Tusker from Kenya was good too. I don’t recommened anybody reading this to try Castle from South Africa however. It tastes like piss! Me and my dad will go to places like the marine house when we both were in Zambia were Africian beers were readily available. My only regret as far as beers go is the fact that I never drank Simba beer which is from Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of the Congo).
Safari Lager from Tanzania is the best on my part and no one from Tanzania can argue with that!
You missed the Zambezi Lager from Zimbabwe
I will have to try this on my next visit…!
Where can I buy these beers ?! I’m doing a bucket list of drinking a beer from every country before I die where can I get these
Get yourself to Africa Callum! 😉 Visit some local African restaurants, or check at some good bottle shops.
Have you tried Zambezi Lager from Zimbabwe
Not yet Justice! I will have to look for that one!
Love this list! Some of these are also my favourite, or I did not know them. I like to see THB here too, I really liked that one though it is specifically Madagascan. One beer is missing: Habesha from Ethiopia, you can’t miss that one if you go there!
You definitely have to try the Zambezi lager. A beer so great they had to name a river after it.
My favorite of all the beers I’ve had in east Africa, including most on your list, is a Dry Savana. Technically a cider, but it is so refreshing and a stark contrast to the hot air – absolutely perfect after a game drive or the long day stuck in Dar traffic.
You must try the Zambezi Lager from Zimbabwe and the 2M from Mozambique. Hit me up in my email and I will gladly send you a six pack of the Zambezi.
Next time for sure! I plan to return to southern Africa this year. Cheers!
I am trying to find a place to buy Nile Special beer in the USA as soon as possible for a Ugandan dinner.