In South Africa, Heineken faced a high-single-digit decline in beer and cider volumes, compounded by a wine segment drop in the twenties as the company shifted focus to more profitable variants. The merger, which united iconic brands like Amstel, Savanna, and Nederburg, was meant to strengthen Heineken's African presence, with expectations of adding over €1 billion in net revenue. However, missteps, particularly on pricing, have hurt its market share. Sources close to Remgro, which holds a 19% stake in Heineken Beverages, pointed to pricing errors before the merger as a key factor in losing ground to competitors. These challenges were exacerbated by an 18-month period of limited information sharing during the merger process, leaving the business vulnerable in a promotional-heavy market.