Heineken Beverages has signed a two-year multi-brand partnership with the Icons Series for next month’s Icons Cup South Africa golf tournament.
The tie-up, announced this week, will be fronted by the Windhoek beer, Savanna cider and Amarula liqueur brands, with each playing a different role at the event. Windhoek will provide “19th hole” live entertainment and draught beer for players and spectators, while Savanna will front fan experiences around the course. Finally, Amarula will host premium “sunset celebrations”, according to Heineken’s unit in southern and eastern Africa.
The golf competition takes place between 11 and 13 December in the city of George in South Africa’s Western Cape.
The arrangement, financial details of which were not disclosed, also extends beyond The Links at Fancourt golf course. From this week, Windhoek has been running promotions at golf clubs across the Western Cape and at selected off-premise outlets in George, where shoppers have had the chance to win tournament tickets.
Part of the wider Icons Series, the Icons Cup South Africa brings high-profile stars from different sports to compete in a match-play golfing tournament. This year’s event features Ernie Els, the South African golfing icon and the captain of ‘Team South Africa’; José María Olazábal, a noted Spanish golfer and the captain of ‘Team World’, as well as the former English footballer John Terry, the Australian tennis player Ash Barty and South African rugby star Schalk Burger, among others.
“The Icons Cup brings together world-class gamechangers in an authentic environment, making it the perfect fit for Heineken Beverages and our brand portfolio,” said Heineken Beverages’ head of consumer experience & sponsorships, Kavir Gangiah.
Amarula, Savanna and Windhoek have been central to Heineken’s South African strategy since the Netherlands-headquartered brewing giant bought the brands’ former owners, Distell Group (Amarula and Savanna) and Namibia Breweries Limited (Windhoek), in 2023.
