Who owns CUCA BEER?

CUCA BEER is owned by

GROUPE CASTEL

Cuca was created in Luanda, Angola in 1947 by Companhia União de Cervejas de Angola (“United Brewing Company of Angola”). At the time, the country was still an overseas territory of Portugal, and the company was a subsidiary of the Portuguese beverage company Sociedade Central de Cervejas. That company had been started in 1934, and had begun exporting its signature beer Sagres to Portuguese territories around the world. Central de Cervejas invested 5,000 contos into the new factory, which opened in Luanda in 1952.

When the country achieved independence in 1976, the brewery was nationalized by the nascent Angolan government. A new organization, Empresa Nacional de Cervejas de Angola, was formed in 1980, and administered the Cuca brand for the next two decades. In 1994, the French wine and beer company Groupe Castel, which has a significant presence throughout Africa, purchased a minority stake in the company from the government and began to manage it on their behalf. In 2007, Groupe Castel purchased the remainder of the brewery.

Cuca now is exported to various countries throughout the region, including Mozambique, Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Zambia. Cuca is particularly popular in Namibia, where it was illegal from the mid 1970’s until the country became independent in 1990. The beer flourished in the northern region of the country despite this band, and bars in Namibia became known as “Cuca Shops.” As the revolutionary Democratic Turnhalle Alliance attempted to win support of the people, they gave out free beer in these Cuca shops to earn votes from the citizens.

Cuca beer also has a small by loyal following in Portugal, where there is an active Angolan immigrant community. It is also occassionally distributed to the United States.

Popular Beers by this Brand

• Cuca
• Cuca Ruiva

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