Starting a Canned Drinks Business in South Africa: A Guide
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Starting a Canned drinks business is popular now — cold brew, kombucha, craft sodas, juices, iced teas. If you've got a recipe people love, packaging it in cans turns a nice drink into a sellable, retail-ready product. Here's a practical guide to starting a canned drinks business in South Africa, from equipment to first steps.
1. Nail your product first
Before any equipment, get your recipe consistent and costed. Know what one unit costs you to make, and roughly what you'll sell it for. Everything else builds on that.
2. Choose your packaging
Most small producers start with clear PET cans — they show off your drink, come in small minimums, and you can seal them yourself. If you're weighing it up, see PET cans vs aluminium cans.
3. Get the right equipment
For most start-ups, that means a can sealing machine (seamer) plus a simple way to fill — a jug, tap or small filler to begin with. You don't need an automated line. Our guide to can seamers vs filling machines explains what you need at each stage.
4. Know your numbers
The setup is more affordable than most people expect — a machine plus cans gets you going for well under R25,000. We've broken down the full economics in what it costs to can your own drinks.
5. Mind food safety and compliance
You're selling a consumable, so treat hygiene and food safety seriously: a clean process, clean packaging, accurate labelling, and proper storage (most fresh canned drinks are refrigerated products). Check the regulatory requirements that apply to your product and packaging in South Africa before you sell at scale.
6. Start small and prove it
Canning on-site means you can make small batches, test flavours, sell through your own counter or local stockists, and scale only when demand is there. That's the whole advantage — low risk, fast feedback, full control.
Your first steps
- Finalise and cost your recipe
- Pick your can size — 330ml, 500ml, or both
- Get a seamer, cans and lids
- Run a test batch and refine your process
- Sell, learn, and scale
When you're ready, browse the can sealing machine and PET cans — Cape Town based, nationwide delivery, lids included. Questions about your setup? Get in touch.
