Incoming? Proposed NEW alcohol laws in SA…what to know

Changes to South Africa’s Liquor Amendment Bill have been on hold since 2018, but now, it seems the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition is reviewing new alcohol laws. According to BusinessTech, this is due to alcohol abuse-related data collected during the peak of the COVID-19 lockdown in 2020. 

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GOVERNMENT PROPOSES CHANGING SOUTH AFRICA’S ALCOHOL LAWS 

As per BusinessTech, the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition will reintroduce changes to the Liquor Amendment Bill in Parliament. The Bill hopes to change the legal drinking age amongst other changes.

“During the COVID-19 pandemic, it became more apparent that the problem of liquor abuse is quite huge in South Africa and requires more concerted measures and that the Bill may not address the scale of the problem as the problem requires a concerted effort in government,” said the department’s spokesperson, Bongani Lukhele. 

“Provincial laws must also be reviewed as it impacts directly on the retail trade,” he added. 

WHAT CHANGES CAN SOUTH AFRICANS EXPECT 

• Changes to legal drinking age: The Bill is considering increasing the legal drinking age from 18 to 21. 
• Changes to how alcohol is advertised: The Liquor Amendment Bill is looking at restricting alcohol advertisements on public platforms. It is also considering banning these advertisements on radio and television at certain times of the day
• Purchasing and manufacturing of alcohol on certain days of the week: South Africans may soon only be allowed to purchase alcohol a few days of the week. Alcohol distributors and manufacturers will only be allowed to work on specific days. 

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EXPERTS WEIGH IN ON NEW PROPOSED LEGAL DRINKING AGE 

 Following the Enyobeni Tavern tragedy where 21 teenagers lost their lives, legal professional Thandekila Plaatjie said increasing the legal drinking age would require a conversation with the youth. 

“There are certain nuances in the conversation that aren’t being had. There is a conversation that can be had about why is it that the youth in those low-income neighbourhoods are believing that alcohol, and consuming alcohol, is the only form of fun that they can have.”

“A thirteen-year-old is at a tavern and that’s your only source of fun that you could possibly have after the school holidays. It’s a problem there,” Plaatjie said to 702.