
<p>Booze manufacturers are likely to be fuming as President Cyril Ramaphosa shut down South Africa&#8217;s lucrative alcohol sales for the second time this year.</p>



<p>President Ramaphosa is under pressure to take decisive action as the COVID-19 pandemic is expected to kill up to 50,000 South Africans and ismonths away from its peak. Already it has seen 276,242 cases &#8211; with more than 100,000 in Gauteng alone and 80,000 in the Eastern Cape &#8211; with 4079 people losing their lives.</p>



<p>In his address to the nation from the Union Buildings in Pretoria, President Ramaphosa said many of the cases that came into hospitals were related to the consumption of alchohol that justified a ban on sales forthwith. He said this would also be strengthened by a curfew between 9 PM and 4 AM daily. as the state of national disaster was extended to August 15.</p>



<p>&#8220;We have to make sure there are sufficient beds in hospital and they are not occupied by people who are there because of alcohol,&#8221;says Ramaphosa. </p>



<p>It is only a matter of weeks that the ban on the sale of alcohol was lifted after the national lockdown of the entire economy in March.</p>



<p>The ban not only gave rise to a thriving black market, but also cost the drinks companies billions that it was starting to recoup with the resumption of sales.   </p>



<p>Distell, the maker of the Savanna, Hunter’s Dry and Nederburg brands, says it saw a spike in demand as restrictions on selling of alcohol have eased. Even then volumes were down a bout a quarter year on year.</p>



<p>From July 1 2019 to the end of June 2020, its South African revenue was down by 18.3% and volumes by 25.6%, the liquor group said in a trading statement.</p>



<p>Many more losses are likely for the drinks companies in the months ahead as South Africa battles with a pandemic that looks far from over.</p>



<p></p>


gettyimages-1006175054-594×594

COVID-19: No more booze for now says Ramaphosa

<p>Global market research company Euromonitor International launched a global study on illicit alcohol.</p>
<p>The multi-region report compiles findings from 24 countries in Africa, Eastern Europe and Latin America. Results show that 26 percent of the total volume of alcohol consumed in these countries is illicit.</p>
<p>Out of the 25 countries covered by Euromonitor’s research, Africa has the largest illicit alcohol problem. Whilst almost double the number of countries were covered in South America, Africans consume double the volumes (in absolute alcohol terms) of illicit alcohol.</p>
<p>Key points on illicit alcohol in Sub-Saharan Africa</p>
<p>• South Africa witnessed the largest fiscal loss out of the 7 African countries due to illicit trade despite the low share of illicit to licit litres of absolute alcohol (LAE) volume predominantly due to its tax strategies.<br />
• In international standards and even by African standards, South Africans consume excessive amounts of alcohol. The country has the second highest per capita alcohol consumption, falling just behind Zambia.<br />
• South Africa has the largest variance between the price that consumers can purchase legal alcohol vs what they pay for illicit alcohol (51%) and it is well above the regional average of 42%.<br />
• In 5 of the 8 countries covered the share of the illicit alcohol market is more than 50%, which means that 1 in every two 2 alcoholic beverages consumed, are illicit. In Zambia, this number is much higher. At 69.5% percent, Zambia is second only to Mozambique and almost 3 out of every 4 alcohol drinks are illicit.<br />
• Measured on a per capita basis, Zambians drink the largest amount of legal alcohol but also drink the most illegal alcohol. These numbers are measured on an LAE basis so this is absolute alcohol consumption. South Africans follow closely when it comes to the per capita consumption of illicit alcohol.<br />
• Whilst smuggling is present across all the countries researched, Zambia loses by far the most of its tax revenue to smuggling (71%).</p>
<p><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="alignnone wp-image-322884" src="http://cnbc.africa/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Alcohol-1.jpg" alt="" width="722" height="547" /></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-322885" src="http://cnbc.africa/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Alcohol-2.jpg" alt="" width="790" height="603" /></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-322886" src="http://cnbc.africa/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Alcohol-3.jpg" alt="" width="789" height="601" /></p>
<p><em>Article provided by Euromonitor International.</em></p>


One in four bottles of alcohol consumed is illicit, what you need to know

<p>Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari has approved an increase in excise duties on tobacco and alcoholic beverages, the finance ministry said in a statement on Sunday.</p>
<p><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-38742 size-full" src="http://cnbc.africa/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/beer_-_flickr-1.jpg" alt="AB InBev offers voluntary severance in South Africa" width="972" height="648" /></p>
<p class="">The west African country, which has Africa’s biggest economy, fell into recession in 2016 largely due to low oil prices. It emerged from recession last year, mainly as a result of higher crude prices, and is trying to raise non-oil revenues.</p>
<p class="">In addition to a 20 percent tax on tobacco, the government will add an extra fixed tax per cigarette. A percentage tax on alcoholic beverages will be replaced by taxes of fixed amounts based on volume.</p>
<p class="">The finance ministry said the changes will take effect from June 4 this year.</p>
<p class="">The move would have “a dual benefit of raising the government’s fiscal revenues and reducing the health hazards associated with tobacco-related diseases and alcohol abuse,” it said in its statement.</p>
<p class="">The ministry said the new regime was in line with a directive from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) regional bloc on the harmonisation of member-states’ legislation on excise duties.</p>
<p class="">Raising duties in Nigeria for alcohol could further hit consumer demand amid fragile growth.</p>
<p class="">Anheuser-Busch InBev (AB InBev), the world’s largest beer maker, expects its new $250 million brewery being built in Sagamu, Nigeria, to start production in the middle of this year, its head of Africa head has said.</p>
<div class="Attribution_container_28wm1">
<div class="Attribution_attribution_o4ojT">
<p class="Attribution_content_27_rw">Writing by Alexis Akwagyiram; Editing by Peter Graff</p>
</div>
</div>


Nigeria increases excise duties on tobacco and alcohol

<p>Twenty-one people died and six remain in hospital in eastern Cameroon after drinking what is believed to have been a toxic batch of locally distilled alcohol, regional officials said on Wednesday.</p>
<p>People began falling ill after consuming odontol, a strong spirit distilled from either palm wine or corn or sugar cane, at a party on Sunday in the town of Mindourou in East Region.</p>
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<p>&#8220;Some experienced gastric problems, loss of vision and loss of consciousness. Fourteen people died there on the spot,&#8221; said Robert Mathurin Bidjang, a regional health official.</p>
<p>Unconscious victims were taken to the local hospital, where seven people died, the most recent victim on Tuesday. Six others remained under observation on Wednesday.</p>
<p>Regional governor Gregoire Mvongo confirmed the death toll and local authorities were warning of the risks of consuming odontol.</p>
<p>The spirit is popular due to its high alcohol content and low cost, but its production is largely unregulated and deaths in Cameroon are regularly attributed to its consumption.﻿</p>
<p> </p>


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COVID-19: No more booze for now says Ramaphosa

One in four bottles of alcohol consumed is illicit, what you need to know

Nigeria increases excise duties on tobacco and alcohol

Homemade alcohol kills 21 in Cameroon

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COVID-19: No more booze for now says Ramaphosa

One in four bottles of alcohol consumed is illicit, what you need to know

Nigeria increases excise duties on tobacco and alcohol

Homemade alcohol kills 21 in Cameroon

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