SABMiller, one of the world's largest brewers, has announced the launch of a low cost commercial-scale cassava-based beer, which it hopes will capture previously untapped low-income earners.

The beer, called ‘Impala', will be brewed in Mozambique by SABMiller's local subsidiary, Cervejas de Moçambique (CDM).

The launch marks the latest step in SABMiller's ambition to create a portfolio of high-quality, affordable beers made using locally-sourced raw materials for lower income consumers in Africa.

“Impala is brewed using 70 percent cassava and is the result of several years of research to overcome the challenges of processing and brewing with cassava, which grows widely across Africa,” the brewer said in a statement.

The beer will sell for 75c for a 550ml bottle, compared with the average price in Africa of $1 for an equivalent unit.

Mark Bowman, Managing Director of SABMiller Africa, said: "We estimate that the volume of the informal, unregulated alcohol market across Africa could be up to four times that of the formal market. By using locally-sourced raw materials, we are able to create high-quality, affordable products for consumers who would otherwise be drinking informal or illicit alcohol. At the same time, Africa's agricultural potential is enormous, but currently under-exploited. The private sector has a critical role to play - by creating market opportunities for subsistence farmers in our value chains, we are able to increase their productivity allowing them to feed their families and generate an income for the first time."

SABMiller aims to increase its footprint in the relatively untapped home-brew beer market in Africa, which could be four times the size of the traditional market.

SABMiller first invested in Cervejas de Moçambique (CDM) in 1995.

Image: Supplied by SABMiller