Brewer AB InBev to list shares in South Africa

The world's top brewer Anheuser-Busch InBev said Monday it will list its shares on the Johannesburg stock exchange starting in mid-January after it completes its mega buyout of South African rival SABMiller.

The announcement confirms a commitment made by the  maker of Beck's, Budweiser and Stella Artois when it announced in November a historic $121-billion (110 billion euros) buyout of SAB Miller, one of Africa's only global conglomerates.

The extra listing was "an important step towards our proposed combination with SABMiller, and signals our commitment to South Africa, and the African continent," said AB InBev CEO Carlos Brito in a statement.

AB InBev is already listed in Brussels, New York and Mexico and the new listing is intended to show that the new company will not abandon South Africa despite the buyout by the Belgium-based rival.

Founded in 1895, the original South African Brewers group was the first industrial company to list on the Johannesburg stock exchange.