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
15 February 2023 - 13:11
byYolanda Mdzeke, Joan van Dyk and Christina Pitt
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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.
Support our award-winning journalism. The Premium package (digital only) is R30 for the first month and thereafter you pay R129 p/m now ad-free for all subscribers.
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
This story was produced by the Bhekisisa Centre for Health Journalism. Sign up for the newsletter.
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