Grahamstown Brewery Pty (Ltd), trading as Makana Meadery was founded in the year 2000 with the primary objective of placing this 20 000 year old South African honey based beverage, iQhilika on the world's shelves.
Makana Meadery has its beginnings in a Rhodes University based research project to develop state of the art fermentation technology for producing iQhilika, an African mead. The meadery is housed in a historical Grahamstown landmark on the outskirts of this picturesque educational town in the Eastern Cape of South Africa.
Honey is a vital ingredient in the making of iQhilika and to match this demand the company has developed an extensive beekeeping programme. With the acquisition of a sawmill and the development of beekeeping training programmes, the company has also expanded its products and services to include: beekeeping products, beekeeping training and R & D development.
Makana iQhilika Meadery is an equitable, empowerment driven company. It is more than 50% owned and funded by previously disadvantaged individuals and is as such an Affirmative Business Enterprise.
The company was founded by Dr Garth Cambray, the late Dr Winston Leukes (1969 -2006) and Vuyani Ntantiso.
