SABMiller (South African Breweries - Miller) ( , ,blank">Official site) is one of the world’s largest brewers, with brewing interests and distribution agreements in over 60 countries across six continents.

Six of the company’s brands are in the world’s top 50 beer brands and the group is one of the largest bottlers of _Coca-Cola products in the world.

The group reported an annual turnover of $18,620m in 2007, up 22% from $15,307m in 2006.

SABMiller has expanded rapidly from its South African origins, acquiring local brands and brewing operations in Europe, Asia and the Americas.

Founded in South Africa in 1895, the operations of South African Breweries (SAB) were mainly limited to southern Africa until 1990, where it had established a dominant position in the market.

SAB’s first investment in Europe was in 1990 through the purchase of an interest in Compañía Cervecera de Canarias SA in the Canary Islands.

After listing on the London Stock Exchange in 1999 to raise capital for acquisitions, the group purchased the Miller Brewing Company in North America from the Altria Group in 2002, changing its name to SABMiller.

Following this, the group’s next major acquisition was of a major interest in Bavaria S.A., South America’s second largest brewer and owner of the Aguila and Club Colombia brands in 2005.

In the same year, SABMiller acquired a 29.6% stake in Harbin Brewery, China’s oldest brewer, preparing the group to benefit from growth of the beer category in developing markets.