The festive season will be here in a few days and as is the tradition, there will be lots of shopping for food, drinks and everything that will make the yuletide a memorable one. But what exactly will you be drinking this Christmas?
Naturally, everyone desires to drink only the best beverages on the market and this is why bodies like Ghana Beverage Awards strives to recognize and promote beverages excelling in their various specialties.
At the peak of celebrations, it is easy to get carried away and gulp down any ‘good’ beverage going around the table. Even for those who stick to well-known/ trusted beverage brands, be reminded to look out for nitty-gritties like the expiry dates of every product you buy. A healthy beverage is one which is in low in calories and supplies the needful nutritional fluids to the body.
Ghana’s Beverage Industry
According to research, Ghanaians already rank among some of the most regular drinkers on the continent, with an average annual alcohol consumption of 5.4 litres of alcohol per capita. This places Ghana above key regional markets such as Ethiopia, Kenya, and Zambia, while still some way behind regional leaders South Africa, Namibia, and Nigeria (Asoko Insight & Fraym, 2017). Ghana is a country that is full of potential to export very huge amounts of produce to the international market. This, however, is always faced with serious challenges due to very intense competition from the international world with regards to issues such as price, product quality, payment terms and other trade issues (Akoetey, 2013). That regardless, the beverage industry is booming with new products every year. This brings us to another challenge which accompanies this growth; regulation. Regulation is about the biggest issue in the industry as individuals keep churning out products with do not undergo safety testing by the Food and Drugs Authority. With Christmas around the corner, many of these manufacturers are going to employ all sorts of advertising to cash-in on the buzz of the season.
The Traditional Christmas in Ghana
Without special mention to any brands, the typical Ghanaian knows the branded drinks we often find on our tables at Christmas. This season there will be water, juices, wine, beer, dairy products and more of various brands. Your choice of the ideal beverage will be dependent on how much you trust the brand and how consistent in taste and quality the brand has been. No matter your beverage choice, by all means, make sure you are making a quality and healthy choice for you and your loved ones. The Ghana Beverage Awards allows Ghanaians to make an assessment of beverage options on the Ghanaian market. The Awards assembles approved beverage varieties and rewards them for maintaining high quality standards.
The Ghana Beverage Awards
On this festive note, Global Media Alliance is set to open nominations for the Ghana Beverage Awards 2019 in mid-December. Through this event, organisers will help you call to mind those beverage brands which have added to your special moments throughout the year.
Speaking on the upcoming event Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Global Media Alliance, Mr. Ernest Boateng said:
“On behalf of the organisers of this prestigious event, the Ghana Beverage Awards (GBA), I am happy to announce that preparations are underway to hold the next GBA. GBA is growing steadily because of the support it has gained from the beverage industry, regulatory bodies, the media and the general public. Harnessing the creativity available to us, GMA is looking at organizing a memorable GBA next year.”
The Ghana Beverage Awards aims to support state authorities in streamlining the practices of the industry and enforcing sanity in the system by celebrating authorized and excelling beverage brands in Ghana. Launched on the 28th of April 2016, GBA creates a platform for industry players to; network and share ideas, market their products and services and boost the sale of beverages in Ghana.
In March 2019, Storm Energy Drink from Kasapreko Company Limited (KCL) emerged Product of the Year, with the same company, KCL, winning Manufacturer of the Year.
The Ghana Beverage Awards is partnered by the Food Research Institute (FRI) under CSIR, Ghana Tourism Authority, Consumer Protection Agency (CPA) the Food and Beverage Association of Ghana (FABAG).
