💸 Back-a-buddy HELP fund Stolen Ground 2 & 3: backabuddy.co.za/campaign/stolen-ground-2
(BaB accepts international donations too)
EFT Details:
Bank: FNB
Account Holder: Deep Focus (Pty) Ltd
Account Type: Gold Business Account
Account Number: 63171960321
Branch Code: 250655
Swift Code: FIRNZAJJ
Ref: Stolen Ground
Donate via Lightning: joeemilio@blink.sv
More info: stolenground.co.za
WATCH 👀 Stolen Ground: The Tygerberg Raceway story — Who’s really behind the land grabs in South Africa?
youtu.be/u4XZaRrhaZM
___________________________________
🏆 Become a member to my YT Channel for some perks:
youtube.com/channel/UCdU01vCV2s1obEC9qPZc85Q/…
___________________________________
⬇️ Social media Links 📱:
Facebook: facebook.com/share/16CXSoQw3H/?mibextid=wwXIfr
Instagram: instagram.com/newsflashwjoeemilio?igsh=cGZuYX…
Tiktok: tiktok.com/@newsflashwjoeemilio?_t=ZM-8u6Sl1H…
📲 Follow the official Newsflash WhatsApp Channel for breaking news, episode drops, documentary updates, and exclusive content:
whatsapp.com/channel/0029VbCNjpBCnA7svKRUgA2E
_________________________________
South Africa’s National Treasury is considering a major change to the way beer, wine and other alcoholic beverages are taxed. Instead of relying mainly on existing product categories, the proposed alcohol taxation framework would link excise duties more closely to the amount of pure alcohol contained in each beverage.
Supporters may see alcohol-content taxation as a way to encourage weaker drinks, reduce harmful consumption and address the serious social and health consequences associated with alcohol abuse. However, liquor traders and industry representatives are warning that the proposal could have significant unintended consequences for consumers, manufacturers, taverns, restaurants and workers across South Africa.
Lucky Ntimane, convener of the National Liquor Traders Association, argues that the proposed system could result in a sharp excise increase for established beer and cider products. Using the example discussed in the interview, the total tax burden on a 750 ml beer with 5% alcohol by volume could rise noticeably once excise duty and VAT are included.
Manufacturers may consequently face a difficult choice. They could increase retail prices, absorb the additional expense or reduce the alcohol content of existing products. According to Ntimane, some brands could theoretically need to drop from approximately 5% ABV to 2.5% ABV to avoid the proposed higher tax threshold. This raises questions about whether customers would pay more for familiar products, receive reformulated versions or simply move toward cheaper alternatives.
One of the biggest concerns is South Africa’s illicit alcohol market. Ntimane claims that counterfeit and illegally traded liquor has expanded substantially and now represents a significant portion of alcohol sold in the country. If legitimate beer, cider, wine and spirits become more expensive, critics fear that price-sensitive consumers could increasingly turn to unregulated products.
Counterfeit alcohol is not merely a question of lost tax revenue or corporate profits. Illicit products can be manufactured without proper quality controls and may contain dangerous substances. Consumers often cannot determine what is inside a suspicious bottle, how it was produced or whether it is safe for human consumption. Greater demand for cheap, unregulated liquor could therefore create serious public-health and law-enforcement challenges.
The debate also extends to employment and South Africa’s struggling economy. The legal liquor industry supports jobs throughout manufacturing, agriculture, logistics, hospitality, retail and the township economy. Traders warn that a sudden increase far above ordinary inflation could place pressure on legal businesses while giving illegal suppliers a larger competitive advantage.
Treasury’s challenge is to determine whether an alcohol-by-volume tax would meaningfully reduce harmful drinking without damaging compliant businesses or accelerating the counterfeit market. An effective policy would need to consider consumer behaviour, enforcement capacity, affordability, alcohol-related harm and the scale of illegal trade.
The interview also draws comparisons with South Africa’s illicit cigarette market and the pressure experienced by legitimate tobacco manufacturers. Critics argue that continuously raising taxes on regulated products becomes counterproductive if illegal suppliers can operate freely and sell cheaper alternatives.
#SouthAfrica #AlcoholTax #NationalTreasury #BeerPrices #WineTax #ExciseDuty #CounterfeitAlcohol #IllicitTrade #SouthAfricanNews #LiquorIndustry
