Central African Republic: breweries battling for influence
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00:00There's a celebratory mood at the headquarters of the Mokaf Brewery in Bangui.
00:04The French company is launching a new product and is leaving nothing to chance.
00:08It's even using female influencers for the first time.
00:12On the other side of town, members of the Wagner Mercenary Group have opened a bar
00:17dedicated to their own newly created beer, Afrika Tilor.
00:21Its promotion has been intense as Wagner tries to edge out its rivals.
00:26Both Afrika Tilor and Mokaf have their followings.
00:30I've been a fan for a very long time.
00:32Our grandparents drank it, our parents drank it and I fell into it.
00:38We like ATO because the alcohol content is a bit high.
00:43Which is why we like it.
00:48Known as the Russian beer, Afrika Tilor is distinctive for its unusual plastic bottle,
00:53hefty 9% alcohol content and promises that customers might find gold under the bottle top.
00:59But promoters are also suspected of using far more aggressive methods.
01:03Wagner was even accused of being behind an arson attack on the Castel Warehouse in March 2023.
01:12We haven't had any explanations on the subject.
01:15We've simply taken the bull by the horns and resolutely put in place the means to prevent this from happening again.
01:23The Russians try to win over some retailers by gifting them fridges and TVs.
01:28They also openly carry weapons.
01:33They're a bit brutal.
01:36I won't let them intimidate those who work for me.
01:39Because one day they tried.
01:42While Afrika Tilor sales are still far behind that of Mokaf,
01:46Russian influence continues to grow in the country.