A group of CPUT brewers are set to go up against 14 micro-brewing teams at the South African Breweries’ 9th Annual SAB Intervarsity Beer Brewing Challenge.

Set to take place on 10 September 2016 at the SAB’s Cyril Ramaphosa World of Learning in Kyalami, Johannesburg, the competition provides a platform for up and coming brewers to show off their brewing skills.

CPUT made its debut in the competition in 2013, and since then their brews have earned them several top prizes.

This year’s team consists of Cara Vlok, Gareth Williams, Ryan Morkel, Lizaan Jacobs, who are enrolled in the Food Science and Technology programme, as well as lecturers Veronique Meyer and Dr Zanephyn Keyser. The team is positive that their brews will win over the judges’ taste buds.

Utilising the microbrewery that is housed in the Food Science and Technology Department on the Bellville Campus, the students brewed, fermented and packaged a dark lager, an apple cider as well as a specialty beer called Ayurveda.

CPUT has in the past proven their skills for creating unique brews and last year clinched the top prize in the specialty beer category for Tipsy Inyanga beer, an African take on a Belgian Witbier. The CPUT team incorporated the tricky buchu herb into the winning brew along with naartjie, sweet root (a liquorice flavoured plant), wheat and malt.

Meyer says this year’s specialty beer called Ayurveda was inspired by chai tea, and boasts an infusion of chai, orange and several other secret ingredients.

“It tastes really good,” she says.

Meyer says they drew inspiration from ancient healing techniques from the east, where chai tea was used for healing purposes.

In 2014 the CPUT team used rooibos as a key ingredient and walked away with the “Ben Lamaletie” IBD Intervarsity Beer Brewing Challenge Floating Trophy, the top honour Castle Lager Best Bru Award, as well as the Carling Black Label Champion Lager.

The competition will be judged by the most prominent independent and accredited craft beer tasters.

* Competition background: SAB has assisted South African universities in setting up microbreweries. CPUT is one of the recipients of a microbrewery, which is used to train Food Science and Technology students in the area of brewing.

Written by Candes Keating
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Provides coverage for the Engineering and Applied Sciences Faculties; the Bellville and Wellington Campuses, and research and innovation news.

There are no shortcuts to success in the sporting world.

“For those females who would like to make sport their career, know that talent alone is not enough, you have to put in the extra work (training) to get even better,” says Shela Lekalakala, a Sports Development Officer in the Department of Student Affairs.

Lekalakala’s words of advice stem from her own experience in the sports world, having been an active member of the national netball community since her university days when she first started playing at provincial level for the under 19 team.

Her natural talent on the court saw her being awarded coveted sports opportunities, from representing South African at the Commonwealth Games in Scotland to participating at the World Student Games in Russia and South Korea.

After enjoying a successful career as a netball player, Lekalakala is now using her experience to drive the development of netball at CPUT as well as in the rest of the country.

“I love using sports to contribute positively to the lives of young people,” says Lekalakala.

In the past few years she has managed to grow the CPUT netball team, and under her leadership they have experienced a winning streak, having clinched the top title in the premier section three times in a row.

Several of the netball players coached by her have also been selected in provincial teams, while another has secured a coveted spot in the under 21 team that will compete at the national netball championships.

Apart from coaching the CPUT team, Lekalakala has coached Team SA as well as the Spar Netball team. She has also held post in various sports structures, such as the Vice President of Western Cape Provincial Sports Confederation, Vice President Western Province Netball and Treasurer University Sports South Africa Football.

Lekalakala has no regrets when it comes to her career choice.

“My main reason for choosing sport as a career was because it is a dynamic area. Your day is never the same. Things evolve all the time and as a sport administrator, you must always keep up with the changes.”

Lekalakala says females who would like to become involved in the management side of sport, must get involved with the sport they have an interest in as well as volunteer their services.

Written by Candes Keating
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Provides coverage for the Engineering and Applied Sciences Faculties; the Bellville and Wellington Campuses, and research and innovation news