The group said in a statement on Wednesday (18 December) that Mackay died peacefully this morning‚ with his family at his side.
The board has appointed acting chairman John Manser as chairman with immediate effect‚ and has appointed Guy Elliott as senior independent director in succession to Manser.
On behalf of the board of SABMiller‚ Manser said: "Our thoughts and prayers are with Graham's wife and family. Graham was one of the most inspirational and successful leaders in international business by any measure. Everyone in the SABMiller family has been blessed by his vision‚ his loyalty‚ and his friendship during his 35 years with the group. He will be deeply missed."
Manser said the board had every confidence that under chief executive Alan Clark's leadership‚ the group would continue to build on Mackay's legacy‚ and fulfil his vision of making SABMiller the most admired company in the global beer industry.
The board will make a further announcement in due course about the appointment of a chairman to succeed Manser for the longer term‚ but it is expected that to facilitate succession planning and to allow an appropriate period of familiarisation and handover‚ Manser will defer his previously expected retirement date for about one year.
Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan on Wednesday paid tribute to Mackay.
"Graham Mackay was a phenomenal leader who took a South African giant and turned into a multinational corporation that has held its own in a very competitive industry‚" Gordhan said in a statement.
"Despite the success of SABMiller's venture into the global arena‚ Mackay never forgot his South African roots and remained proudly South African in international fora. He leaves behind a phenomenal legacy. And the corporation that he worked for counts as one of the best producers of high-calibre managers and is among those firms that have been a good training ground for professionals‚" he said.
Anthony Geard‚ an analyst at Investec Securities‚ said Mackay took South African business to a higher level.
"An extraordinary and inspirational business leader‚ who also drew great admiration from his peers and lifted the profile of South African businesspeople in general. It's very sad for his immediate family, the SAB family and his many friends‚" he said.
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