Tipplers in most townships around the country face a thirsty weekend because of the acute shortage of beer, the Sowetan reported on Friday.

The South African Breweries' Chamdor branch near Kagiso, which supplies most of the West Rand with beer, has had beer delivery problems for the past month.

This has started affecting liquor business.

Liquor store managers told Sowetan that the beer shortage might force them to retrench workers as there was no money to pay them.

SAB spokesperson Janine van stolk however said there was "no critical shortage of beer".

She said glass shortages were a factor in the current constraints.

"Shifts in consumer buying patterns in the past few months, especially the absence of Amstel Lager, have added to the problem," she said. - Sapa