A few weeks ago, I wrote about a Swiss couple who passed through Durban on their way north. That visit sparked something special — a living example of what I now call Beer Post.
Kinder Post
When our kids attended the local German School, teachers had a charming way of sending notes home. They’d clip them into the homework books, marked Kinder Post — “Children’s Mail.”
It was then up to the children to deliver them by hand.
That simple act — a message carried personally from one person to another — has always stayed with me.
“There’s something special about a message that travels hand to hand — from one person who cares, to another who will.”
The Original Beer Post
A few years ago, I interviewed Louis Peters, a former beer executive who, in 2008, together with his friend Morne, paddled the entire length of Lake Tanganyika — 676 kilometres of endurance and adventure.
But what fascinated me most wasn’t the paddle itself — it was how they got their kayak to the lake.
Through friends in the beer industry, Louis arranged what I now call Beer Post. His canoe, built by PaddleYak in Hout Bay, was transported on beer trucks — passed from one SAB colleague to another — all the way from Johannesburg to Kasama in northern Zambia.
When he arrived, the kayak was waiting. The local SAB rep even adjusted his delivery route to drop them at the water’s edge.
That’s Beer Post in its purest form — a journey powered by relationships, trust, and a shared love of beer.
🎧 Listen to the full story: Beer Post with Louis Peters →
The Stories That Started It All
Another conversation that shaped my curiosity about African breweries was with Matthew Fitzsimons, founder of Big Eye Branding. He fondly recalled travelling across the continent, visiting every SAB brewery, and selling branding material to expat brewers — a golden era of beer camaraderie.
🎧 Listen to Matthew’s story: Visiting All the SAB Breweries in Africa →
Those early stories planted the seed for what would eventually become the Beer Passport™ — a way to connect the next generation of brewers, travellers, and storytellers through beer.
Beer Post — Carried by the Community
Fast forward to Durban, 2025.
Michael and Jasmin, the Swiss overlanders behind Landcruising.ch, rolled into town with their Troopy and a few local craft beers.
Somewhere between the second and third beer, I told them about the Beer Passport™ — our small initiative to connect travellers and brewers through shared purpose.
Without hesitation, they offered to carry a few Beer Passports and personalised stamps on their journey north — delivering them by hand to brewers they meet along the way.
And just like that, Beer Post was reborn — this time, powered by travellers, not trucks.
A New Expedition Begins
Their route will take them through some of Africa’s most exciting beer destinations:
From 🇿🇦 South Africa to 🇲🇿 Mozambique → 🇲🇼 Malawi → 🇹🇿 Tanzania → 🇧🇮 Burundi → 🇰🇪 Kenya → 🇺🇬 Uganda → 🇦🇴 Angola → 🇳🇬 Nigeria → 🇬🇭 Ghana
Each stop will bring new stories, new friendships, and hopefully a few new breweries joining the Beer Passport network.
During their stay, we even met Kingsley Holgate, who spoke about the power of purposeful travel — and when Michael and Jasmin shared their mission, it all made sense.
Their first stop: Mafalala Brewery, Maputo.
From there, the Beer Passport journey across Africa officially begins.
“Beer Post began with a kayak on Lake Tanganyika — and now, it continues with a Land Cruiser heading north.”
Join the World’s Greatest Beer Adventure
The Beer Passport™ began in South Africa as a simple idea — to celebrate independent brewers and help travellers discover local beer destinations.
After nearly 5,000 printed passports sold and thousands of explorers checking in at breweries nationwide, the 2026 Map & Challenge now expands across Africa:
🇦🇴 Angola · 🇧🇼 Botswana · 🇧🇮 Burundi · 🇪🇹 Ethiopia · 🇬🇭 Ghana · 🇰🇪 Kenya · 🇲🇼 Malawi · 🇲🇿 Mozambique · 🇳🇦 Namibia · 🇳🇬 Nigeria · 🇷🇼 Rwanda · 🇿🇦 South Africa · 🇹🇿 Tanzania · 🇺🇬 Uganda
Your Beer Passport™ 2026 Map & Challenge is your digital companion for real-world beer exploration — connecting you to the brewers, stories, and places that make every pint memorable.
- Check in at participating venues
- Unlock badges & complete challenges
- Earn rewards while supporting local beer culture
Whether you’re on a cross-country road trip or just exploring your local scene — this is your pass to taste the difference.