• The alcohol industry has received numerous complaints from consumers about businesses contravening the rules.
• Beer manufacturers plan to stop supplying alcohol to businesses that have breached lockdown Level 2 restrictions.
• Tourism Minister Mmamolokolo Kubayi-Ngubane has also appealed to restaurants to comply with safety regulations.

Beer manufacturers plan to stop supplying alcohol to businesses who are not keeping to lockdown Level 2 restrictions when it comes to liquor sales.

The Beer Association of South Africa (BASA) on Wednesday issued a statement indicating it has committed to "identifying establishments found breaking the law and cutting off their supply".

This comes after Tourism Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane appealed to restaurants to comply with safety regulations, following numerous complaints. The department received complaints from consumers, employees and other operators that some restaurants were operating outside curfew, offering take-away alcohol and not enforcing social distancing or the wearing of masks. The Restaurant Association of SA, in turn, has warned that it will report non-compliant restaurants, Fin24 previously reported.

Now beer manufacturers are taking a stand – BASA, which includes the Craft Brewers Association South Africa, Heineken South Africa and South African Breweries – said it will be requesting details from municipalities and provincial liquor authorities of businesses whose licences have been revoked since the sales ban was lifted, to stop supplying alcohol to them.

"We will continue to blacklist such businesses as part of our ongoing drive to encourage responsible alcohol distribution and consumption," said BASA CEO Patricia Pillay.

"While the majority of outlets and restaurants are complying with the lockdown regulations, we have been receiving reports of businesses who are selling and serving alcohol outside of the legal trading hours.

"We have also had reports of outlets not adhering to social distancing protocols and thereby putting the health and safety of their customers at risk," the statement read.

According to BASA its toll-free hotline had received numerous calls of complaints about businesses contravening the regulations.

Pillay explained that it was "critical" to ensure responsible and moderate alcohol consumption during and after the Covid-19 pandemic. She stressed that another "clampdown" on the sector would be detrimental for the many livelihoods dependent on it continuing to operate.