15 February 2023 1 Min Read

WATCH: How did South Africa’s illicit tobacco trade get so bad?

Independent research shows 54% of cigarettes sold in South Africa are illegal, which means Sars didn’t collect any sin tax on those smokes

in News & Fox by Yolanda Mdzeke, Joan van Dyk and Christina Pitt
Picture: 123RF/GIN SANDERS
Loading ...
  • The illicit trade also means anti-smoking laws don’t work as well, because even if the government puts up the price of cigarettes to get people to stop smoking, they can still get their fix cheaply.
  • The current situation has been a long time coming — Big Tobacco tactics, state capture and Covid sales bans all played a role. Watch this video for more details.
    • Loading ...
    This story was produced by the Bhekisisa Centre for Health Journalism. Sign up for the newsletter.
    Features 1 year ago

    A guide to South Africa’s illegal tobacco trade after Covid

    Batsa says 200 of its workers will be out of a job soon, but public health researchers argue it is using misleading figures to back the retrenchments
    Business 1 year ago

    Illicit ciggies strangling black tobacco farmers

    A huge spike in the illicit cigarette trade has decimated the livelihoods and operations of black tobacco farmers, with many losing income and now ...
    Opinion 1 year ago

    Big Tobacco’s playbook nearly derailed SA’s TB conference. Here’s why

    The Foundation for Professional Development, the main sponsor of the TB conference, accepted a R2m grant from an organisation regarded as a front ...
    Loading ...
    Loading ...
    View Comments