In this episode we take you far south – to South Africa, to the small village of Jericho near Pretoria. There we meet Obakeng Melope, an award-winning filmmaker and passionate brewer. In her new film she combines two ancient arts: brewing traditional sorghum beer and telling stories around the fire. We talk about how beer in South Africa is deeply connected to culture, rituals, and family history, why women are the guardians of this brewing tradition, and how Obakeng’s project Beer is Art inspires young people to reinterpret old knowledge in new ways. Get ready for fascinating insights into South African beer culture, moving stories of grandmothers who have passed down brewing for generations, and the vision of a woman who sees beer not only as a drink but as a true art form…

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BierTalk – Gespräche über und beim Bier.

Markus: Hello, and welcome to another episode of our podcast *BierTalk*. Today we’re travelling far south, to South Africa, close to Pretoria. We’ll meet a filmmaker, but also a brewer – someone who offers a very special experience: you can attend a screening and watch live how sorghum beer is brewed. So, welcome, Obakeng Melope. It’s great to have you here! Maybe you can start by telling our listeners a little bit about yourself?

Obakeng: Good day, Markus, and thank you so much. I’m really happy to be here – I’ve been wanting to join this podcast for a while. My name is Obakeng Melope, I live in South Africa, and I’m both a filmmaker and a beer brewer. I first made my name in the film industry, and as a filmmaker you get to travel a lot to festivals. I’ve been all over Europe – France, the UK, Switzerland, The Netherlands – and also to Canada. And when you travel, you really experience local cultures, including how people drink and make beer. My first real interaction with beer culture was in the UK. That was the first time I saw women openly drinking mainstream beer – something I’d never seen in my village, where beer drinking was mostly for men. That motivated me, it showed me there was no taboo for women to enjoy beer. In The Netherlands I saw another beer culture, closer to ours in terms of food and traditions, and that inspired me to think about beer and food pairings. Then came Covid. During lockdown I started watching YouTube videos on brewing – often Germans with big beards, big glasses of beer, showing the foam, the carbonation… I found it fascinating. Around that time I discovered a programme on Facebook called *Road to 100* by Eugenia Brown from the US. She taught 100 women of colour about brewing, tasting, food pairing – everything connected to beer. After that, in South Africa, I joined the Brutus Brewing Programme, where I learned to brew hands-on. To grow my skills, I also volunteered in breweries. And Markus, the best part of volunteering is simple: you can pour yourself a fresh beer straight from the tap!

Markus: Fantastic. And did you grow up in the village where you are now?

Obakeng: Yes, I was born and raised in Jericho, though today I live in Johannesburg. Most breweries here are in Joburg or Cape Town. I’m back in my village now to shoot my second film – people really liked my first one, so I wanted to continue.

Markus: And when you were growing up, do you remember people making beer?

Obakeng: Yes. In our rural village children weren’t allowed near bars or taverns – buying or drinking mainstream beer was strictly off-limits. But traditional sorghum beer was different. It was brewed at home by our grandmothers, and children were part of that process. In my film you see women brewing – not men – because here brewing sorghum beer is considered a woman’s role. We helped with the firewood, watched the process, and learned. The idea was that one day we would take over and keep the tradition alive. The process starts by mixing millet sorghum with warm water, letting it ferment, then cooking it into a porridge over an open fire – never on a stove. We loved that stage, because the porridge was sweet and eaten with sugar. Later, when it was cooled, fermented again, and turned alcoholic, children weren’t allowed near it. That beer was reserved for adults and for special occasions: weddings, funerals, childbirth, or initiation ceremonies.

Markus: So it’s not something people always keep at home – only brewed for special events?

Obakeng: Exactly. In my family we brewed only for occasions. Other families or clans might brew more regularly, sometimes even sell it to support their children. During apartheid, Black people were banned from drinking mainstream commercial beer, so sorghum beer became even more important – both as a drink and as a way for women to provide income.

Markus: Did that also help preserve the tradition?

Obakeng: Yes and no. On the one hand, apartheid forced our grandmothers to keep brewing, and they passed on the skills. On the other hand, today many young people see sorghum beer as old-fashioned. That’s why I made my film – to inspire people over 21 to learn and carry on the tradition before it disappears. Otherwise, big corporations will take our knowledge, mass-produce the beer, and profit, while the tradition and community value are lost.

Markus: Your film also shows the tradition of storytelling, which I found fascinating. Could you tell us about that?

Obakeng: Storytelling was central to village life. In the past, especially during apartheid when men worked long months away in the mines, women kept traditions alive. Every evening at 7 pm we’d gather around the fire – no TV then, sometimes just a radio – and the women told stories. These stories were passed down for generations, often through animals as characters. For example, a falcon once lent a needle to a chicken. The chicken lost it, and ever since, the falcon punishes the chicken by eating its chicks. Of course, animals don’t really talk, but the lesson is clear: when someone lends you something, you must take care of it and return it properly. These stories taught us values like respect, responsibility, and community. Today, unfortunately, some of those stories have been taken by big companies, turned into films, and sold back to us – without giving credit or benefit to our communities.

Markus: A wonderful example, thank you. But was it difficult to convince elders to share their recipes and stories on camera?

Obakeng: Very difficult. Many of the elders I knew had already passed away when I came back from Johannesburg to make the film. The few grandmothers I found were in their 70s, 80s, even 90s. Some had memory problems, others could still recall the traditions clearly.

Luckily, this is a small village and we all know each other. They trusted me – many had watched me grow up. They remembered me as the little boy who came to play at their homes, or begged for a plate of food before going back home. That trust allowed me to capture their knowledge, though much has already been lost.

Markus: Do you remember the first beer you brewed yourself?

Obakeng: Yes, it was at a brewery, using a small system like a Grainfather. The beer turned out well, but brewing requires expensive equipment and proper storage. That’s why we often rely on friends with breweries to keep our beer maturing. At home, though, it’s different. My grandmother, who is 88, still insists on doing everything herself – stirring the porridge, handling the pots. She doesn’t let us touch her brewing. Only when she’s gone will it be our turn to take over.

Markus: Let’s come back to your film. How did the idea come about?

Obakeng: I wanted to show that beer is art – both in brewing and storytelling. The tradition is eroding, so I felt the need to preserve it. In the film we even brewed a pilsner infused with sorghum, to show young people that tradition can live on in modern craft beer. Other countries incorporate their local ingredients into beer – Americans add chocolate, muffins, even pickles; in India they use local spices and teas. We can do the same with sorghum, which is already central to our culture and food. Many South African breweries are now experimenting with sorghum-infused beers, and I encourage young people to do the same.

Markus: That’s really important. And, as you say, Africa is not one country – even within South Africa there are so many different tribes, traditions, and beer ideas. Could you give us a little overview of the South African beer world?

Obakeng: Beer culture here is growing quickly. Traditionally we’ve been more of a drinking culture than a brewing culture, but now more breweries are opening, festivals are expanding – like the big one in Pretoria – and you can meet brewers face to face. It’s not easy, though. Brewing is hard work, costs are high, and small breweries compete against huge mainstream companies. Many brewers have dramatic stories: some are fourth-generation homebrewers, others sacrificed their homes or savings to keep their brewery alive. But it’s also inventive. We have beer clubs, beer runs, hiking events with beer. The passion is strong – and if you don’t have passion, you won’t survive in brewing here.

Markus: I also experienced that at the African Beer Cup – it was inspiring to meet so many African brewers with unique ideas. And your film contributes to preserving that. You’ve already screened it in the US, and soon in Scotland. How have audiences reacted?

Obakeng: I was very nervous at the first screening in Philadelphia. We showed it on a big monitor at a beer festival, and luckily people stayed engaged, asked questions, and loved learning about sorghum. We discussed methods like using a “teabag” of sorghum in the mash tun to avoid clogging equipment. In Montclair, New Jersey, the audience was mostly older people – retired teachers, senior citizens. I expected young people, but it was these elders who were most interested, worried like me that traditions might vanish. We also screened in clubs around the US, even on the Fourth of July. I learned that to keep attention, you need a sort of cult following – people who come not just for beer, but for knowledge, culture, and community. That’s how I see beer: not just drinking, but education, sharing, and art.

Markus: That’s a beautiful picture, comparing beer culture to an art gallery. I’ll keep that metaphor! Now, how did the Scotland screening come about?

Obakeng: I connected with Amélie Tassin, founder of *Women in Beer*. She supports women throughout their beer journey. At first it was just an idea, but after proving myself in the US she invited me to screen in Europe. Europe is already a strong beer market, so it’s the right place to share our traditions and maybe even spark collaborations. In the film I even reference a German brewing practice – inducing secondary fermentation by adding fresh wort – something I learned from my grandmother and later recognised in German methods.

Markus: Exactly – it’s about bringing beer worlds together, sharing ideas, and inspiring creativity. Your film conserves tradition while showing how people live it with passion. I invite all listeners: if you can, attend a screening, talk to Obakeng, and experience African beer culture. Hopefully we’ll even organise one in Germany. Do you already have plans for future projects?

Obakeng: Yes – my next film will focus on beer entrepreneurship. Our first film showed beer as art, now we want to show beer as a career path. South Africa has many educated young people without jobs. The beer industry could use their skills – in logistics, marketing, science, anything. If we open the doors, the industry can grow like it has in the US with thousands of breweries.

Markus: That sounds wonderful – not just passion, but a real mission. I wish you all the best with your screenings and future films, and I hope we’ll meet soon for a screening in Germany. Thanks for your passion, your work, and your contribution to beer and tradition.

Obakeng: Thank you. And one last word: *Beer Is Art* is my mission – teaching young people brewing, podcasting, licensing, starting their own brands. Everything I do is inspired by this idea.