SPOTTED HORSE RUM WINS GOLD AND CATEGORY TITLE AT 2026 WORLD RUM AWARDS
Eswatini-produced spirit earns double recognition at one of the world’s most prestigious spirits competitions
MATSAPHA, ESWATINI — 11 May 2026 — Spotted Horse Rum has been awarded both a Gold Medal and Category Winner at the 2026 World Rum Awards, placing the premium spirit produced by Simunye Beverages — a subsidiary of the Royal Eswatini Sugar Corporation (RES) — among the finest rums in the world.
The World Rum Awards is widely regarded as one of the most respected competitions in the global spirits industry, attracting entries from rum-producing nations across the world. Spotted Horse’s double recognition marks the first time an Eswatini-produced rum has achieved this level of international acclaim.
David Pearce, Operations Manager at Simunye Beverages, said the accolade validated the work behind the brand:
“Spotted Horse Rum is incredibly proud to have been awarded both a Gold Medal and Category Winner at the 2026 World Rum Awards — one of the most respected spirits competitions globally. This achievement is a strong recognition of the quality, craftsmanship, and consistency behind our rum, and places an Eswatini-produced spirit among the very best rums in the world. It is not only a proud moment for our brand, but also for the growth and potential of African premium spirits on the global stage.”
Simunye Beverages and the RES Platform
Simunye Beverages is the premium consumer beverages subsidiary of the Royal Eswatini Sugar Corporation, one of southern Africa’s leading sugar and ethanol producers. Drawing on RES’s industrial distillery capability — which produces approximately 32 million litres over a 36-week production period — Simunye Beverages applies that scale and precision to a portfolio of premium, export-ready spirits.
Spotted Horse Gold Rum is the subsidiary’s flagship product, officially launched in August 2025 at Dwaleni Farm Lodge, Eswatini. At the brand’s launch, RES Managing Director Nick Jackson described Spotted Horse as the opening move in a broader premiumisation strategy:
“If we can move 3% of our output into retail, we can double profitability. Rum is the new gin. This is it.”
A Spirit Rooted in Eswatini, Built for the World
Inspired by the majestic giraffe and crafted with reverence for Eswatini’s royal heritage, Spotted Horse delivers a harmonious medley of dried fruits, smooth vanilla, and rich oak — a spirit where, as the brand puts it, “tradition meets indulgence.”
The double award, achieved less than a year after the brand’s commercial debut, reinforces Spotted Horse’s positioning as a globally competitive spirit and underscores a growing continental narrative — that African premium beverages are fully capable of competing at, and winning on, the world stage.
Spotted Horse is produced and bottled in the Kingdom of Eswatini.
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Sibusiso Mngadi
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