South African Breweries (SAB) is to spend $5.6m on expanding its business in China.

SAB is already the biggest foreign brewer in China and has now added two more local breweries to its operations there.

One is in the industrial city of Wuhan, which can be expected to provide plenty of thirsty drinkers since its baking summer temperatures led it to being nicknamed one of China's "four furnaces", while the other is in Changchun in the traditionally hard-drinking north-east.

In Wuhan, SAB has bought a 60% interest in Euro Dongxihu Brewery from French firm Danone.

Euro Dongxihu's brands account for about 80% of the local market in Wuhan and it has a strong position in surrounding Hubei province, SAB said.

In Changchun, the capital of Jilin province, it has acquired Snow Leopard Brewey to add capacity to its fully-stretched local joint venture.