A strange case of beer: the state and sorghum beer manufacture in South Africa.

The profits from sorghum beer brewing form a major source of finance for the Black townships of apartheid South Africa. The evolution of a state monopoly on sorghum beer manufacture is traced, highlighting the incorporation of a traditional drinking practice as one of the cornerstones of ruling-class domination and urban control. The industry's role in financing urban Black townships has been eroded by changing patterns of alcohol consumption. -Author