South Africa’s Tobacco Products and Electronic Delivery Systems Control Bill is unlikely to become law for at least another year, with further delays expected for implementing regulations, according to Professor Lekan Ayo-Yusuf of the University of Pretoria. The bill, first drafted in 2018 and reintroduced in 2022, has faced prolonged parliamentary delays that he attributes to disinformation, political distraction, and a lack of urgency.
Ayo-Yusuf warned that the slow pace benefits the tobacco and vaping industry by leaving a regulatory vacuum as vaping and other nicotine alternatives gain popularity among young people. While acknowledging the need to address illicit cigarette trade, Ayo-Yusuf stressed that tobacco regulation is fundamentally a public health issue, not a trade-off between health and the economy. The bill has recently gained vocal support from the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party, which described it as pro-poor and pro-development, arguing that strong tobacco control reduces healthcare burdens and protects public welfare, while illicit trade should be tackled through enforcement rather than weakened health laws.
