The world’s second-largest brewer, SABMiller, is counting on sales and earnings in emerging market, particularly Africa, to drive its business growth in coming years as urban population on the continent swells and more consumers move to branded beers from home brewed alcohol.

SABMiller, the maker of Peroni, Grolsch and Miller Lite, said it was upbeat on the outlook for Latin America, Africa and Asia. It cited particular strength in Ghana, Nigeria, Tanzania and Zambia where urban populations are growing and trading up to branded beer from home-brewed alcohol, euronews quoted a Reuters story.

“Amid widespread concerns around slowing economies, particularly in emerging markets, we believe that the underlying fundamentals of our key developing markets remain intact,” SABMiller Chief Executive Officer Alan Clark told Reuters.

“This includes growth drivers such as growing population, increasing urbanization, progressively aspirational consumers and opportunities to gain market share from the illicit trade.”

The brewer has leading positions in Africa, China and the Andean region of Latin America.

These helped SABMiller report a 7 percent rise in earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, reaching $3.27 billion in the six months ended 30 September. That was ahead of analysts’ average estimate of $3.22 billion, according to a company-supplied consensus.

Africa has become a key battleground for alcoholic drink makers. Diageo has stepped up investments on the world fastest growing continent, recently buying breweries in Tanzania and Ethiopia, and is on the hunt for more.

Slow economic growth in Europe and the United States has hurt household budgets, meaning consumers have either cut back on beer drinking or tried to buy it more cheaply.