Mail & Guardian
Mail & Guardian

Illicit Cigarettes South Africa

latest news & developments
Cheaper, untaxed cigarettes are disproportionately used by lower-income smokers, people with less formal education and heavier smokers — groups more vulnerable to both economic strain and health risks.
BRITISH AMERICAN TOBACCO SOUTH AFRICA

More than half the cigarettes sold in South Africa are illegal, new research shows

Illicit cigarettes make up about 60% of South Africa’s market, according to research from the University of Cape Town, raising alarm over lost tax revenue and growing public…

  • Sheree Bega
3 min read
A cargo of Scotch whiskey valued at more than eighteen thousand dollars is destroyed by federal prohibition agents in Los Angeles in 1928. (Photo by Camerique/Getty Images)
BLACK MARKETS

Unintended consequences of tax legislation

Tax laws can be a major factor in giving rise to black markets in order to evade the taxes

  • Gary Moore
7 min read