Alcohol advertising ban on the table for South Africa

The Liquor Amendment Bill has been introduced to Parliament to prohibit the advertising and promotion of alcoholic beverages.

The Bill was tabled by Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) Member of Parliament (MP) and party National Assembly Whip Veronica Mente-Nkuna on 8 September 2025.

In its introduction, the Bill argues that liquor consumption and alcohol-induced dangers in society are increasing, with many communities suffering because of alcohol abuse.

“We live in a society where young people are socialised into accepting alcohol abuse and increased or uncontrolled liquor consumption as an integral part of their lifestyle,” it says.

“While not seeking to be a ‘nanny state’, there should be deliberate attempts by the State to counter the normalisation of alcohol and liquor usage.” 

According to its preamble, the Bill intends to prohibit the advertising and promotion of liquor in all forms of media by amending the Liquor Act of 2003.

It also intends to restrict the use of a manufacturer’s brand name or element to promote liquor or its consumption.

The Bill also prohibits the “organising, promoting, or making of a financial contribution to an organised event by a registered person.”

To do so, it will amend section 1 of the Liquor Act by inserting new definitions for “brand element,” “organised activity,” “product placement,” and “promotion.”

The Bill will also amend section 9 of the Act, currently titled “Advertising restrictions,” to include a third part that will prohibit the advertising and promotion of alcohol. 

A fourth part has also been added to the section to prevent liquor-related sponsorships of events.

In a statement on Monday, the EFF said that it tabled the Bill to ensure that the profits of liquor corporations are not prioritised above public health and social stability.

“What alcohol adverts conceal are the devastating consequences of excessive consumption: broken families, high levels of gender-based violence, road fatalities, and the overburdening of our public-health system,” it said.

“The true cost of alcohol abuse is carried by society as a whole, while corporations escape accountability through slick advertising and irresponsible promotion.”

The party called on the Speaker of the National Assembly to urgently refer the Bill to the Portfolio Committee on Trade, Industry, and Competition, and to fast-track its processing.

Third-highest contributor to death

According to the Western Cape Government, more than 60% of road deaths, domestic violence incidents, and murders in South Africa are directly related to alcohol consumption and harmful use.

It is also the third largest contributor to death and disability in South Africa, after sexually transmitted diseases and interpersonal violence, according to a study by Davis, Rotheram-Borus, Weichle, Rezai, and Tomlinson.

The study also points out that both of these causes of death are influenced by alcohol consumption.

The World Health Organisation’s Global Alcohol Action Plan 2022-2030 says that commercial messaging and poorly regulated marketing of alcoholic beverages show little effort in countering the harmful use of alcohol.

Therefore, it calls for regulating the content and volume of marketing and restricting or banning promotions in connection with events.

It says that the most cost-effective actions to prevent harmful use of alcohol are increasing taxes, enforcing bans on alcohol exposure across multiple media types, and restricting the availability of alcohol.

The Liquor Amendment Bill presents similar regulations to the Bill that amended the Tobacco Act, which banned the promotion and advertising of tobacco products.

This was first implemented in 1999, followed by a 2011 amendment to the act to ban the virtual advertising of tobacco products.