What is behind the name Chibuku?
A pint of beer is popular the world over, and nowhere is this more true than in Africa where its many enthusiasts have long been able to sample the delights of the continents' own special variety.
A pint of beer is popular the world over, and nowhere is this more true than in Africa where its many enthusiasts have long been able to sample the delights of the continents' own special variety.
Traditional African beer is regarded by many as the regions official thirst-quencher and those looking for the best way to satisfy their thirst can easily spot it by the brand name of Chibuku.
Its unique consistency means that it is more than just a drink, as it contains sediment which can settle at the bottom of the glass. A good shake every now and then does no harm, and for that reason, it is also known as Sheki Sheki, which translates to Shake Shake
Chibuku, which has its roots in Zambia, has become a sensation in countries where it is now being marketed, but it has in fact, been around since the 1960s.
Chibuku was the brainchild of a German man who did business in Kitwe. He was the man who actually built the original Nkana Hotel.
His name was Heinrich. Heinrich used to trade a lot in the African mining townships on the Copperbelt and realised that the miners who were all recruited from the villages all over the country had one thing in common, a love for beer brewed with millet, sorghum or maize.
He saw a business opportunity. He got some women to teach him how to brew traditional African beer and he then developed a process of brewing it in industrial quantities and hygienically.
He then made a deal with the mine township owners to open taverns in the townships where the beer was delivered in huge tankers and then dispensed in buckets.
He went even further when he noticed that business was only good at paydays. He went to the Mine township manager and set up a system where miners would write their names and mine numbers in a big ledger and at the month end the mines would deduct from the miners pay.
His beer began to be called ubwalwa bwamu chibuku. Heinrich and his workers began to call it Chibuku. His company Heinrich Syndicate grew and covered Zambia nad Zimbabwe before it was bought out by Anglo American.
So all those Kenyans, Zimbabweans, Malawians trying claim that Chibuku is their brand. Sorry guys, Chibuku is a made in Zambia brand and was derived from a Bemba phrase ubwalwa bwamu chi buku.
-Courtesy from Brian Mulenga
Zambia Daily Mail
Zambian Observer
-Courtesy from Brian Mulenga
Zambia Daily Mail
Zambian Observer
Cheers!!
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