Alcohol harms are everywhere, but they are not always visible. Every day, South African communities bear the brunt of alcohol-related violence, road crashes, gender-based violence, and deepening health inequities. Yet, these harms are often underreported or decontextualised in mainstream media coverage, particularly in political reporting and urban news cycles. We believe that journalism has the power …

16 May 2025 Cape Town – A recent study has revealed that the alcohol industry may have undulyinfluenced the delay of South Africa’s Liquor Amendment Bill of 2016 by dominatingthe policy negotiation space at NEDLAC. This was presented during a SouthernAfrican Alcohol Policy Alliance (SAAPA) webinar, which highlighted the exclusion ofcivil society from key discussions. …

Cape Town, 4 April 2025 – A newly published study co-authored by the South African Alcohol Policy Alliance in South Africa (SAAPA-SA), the University of Stirling (UK), and the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC)/WITS has uncovered significant alcohol industry interference in the delayed promulgation of the Draft Liquor Amendment Bill of 2016. The findings, …

The Southern African Alcohol Policy Alliance South Africa (SAAPA-SA) strongly urges Grey High School and DF Malherbe High School in Gqeberha to rethink their applications for liquor licenses. In the case of Grey High School, it is associated with their upcoming rugby tournament. Sports and alcohol do not go together. Grey’s most famous alumni, Siya …

South Africa already has too many challenges related to alcohol harm we do not need beer on our food shop shelves, it is not convent, it is harmful. The Southern African Alcohol Policy Alliance in South Africa will strongly oppose the Beer Association of South Africa’s efforts to change the National Liquor Act and sell …

The BELA Bill was first drafted in 2017 but was released for public comment in 2022. The Southern African Alcohol Policy Alliance upon its release criticised and called for the removal of clause 8 of the Bill. This stated that liquor could be sold at school functions and school premises for fund raising purposes. We are …

Come 1 August Limpopo liquor consumers wanting to sit down, and drink will be hard pressed to find a legally operating establishment to consume alcohol at after midnight. This move by the Limpopo government in the interest of reducing alcohol harm needs to be commended and is in line with global alcohol harm reduction measures …

A total of 25 lives have been lost in the Eastern Cape in the last 13 months in circumstances where alcohol use was involved. On 26th June last year 21 minors died at the Enyobeni Tavern and on Christmas day 2022, another 2 children died at a tavern in Hofmeyr. Yesterday (Sunday) another 17-year-old died …

In the early hours of 26 June 2022, 21 young people died in one of the most tragic alcohol harm related incidents in the history of this country. One year on still no material changes have been made to national and provincial legislation to prevent this scenario from repeating itself. The Southern African Alcohol Policy …

South Africa’s alcohol harm challenges are many. The harmful use of alcohol causes a high burden of disease and has significant social and economic consequences. Harmful use of alcohol can also result in harm to other people, such as family members, friends, co-workers and strangers. It is a causal factor in more than 200 diseases, injuries …