Guest: Francois Van Der Merwe | The South Africa Tobacco Transformation Alliance [SATTA] spokesperson

Illicit cigarettes are putting pressure on South Africa’s legal tobacco industry, with an Ipsos study estimating that illicit products account for almost 75% of the market in 2026. With cigarettes selling for as little as R7 a pack, concerns are mounting over lost tax revenue, declining production and the impact on tobacco farmers and rural employment. Africa Melane speaks to Francois Van Der Merwe, spokesperson for SATTA, about the scale of the trade, the effectiveness of current interventions and what it will take to tackle illicit sales.

Early Breakfast with Africa Melane is 702’s and CapeTalk’s early morning talk show. Experienced broadcaster Africa Melane brings you the early morning news, sports, business, and interviews politicians and analysts to help make sense of the world. He also enjoys chatting to guests in the lifestyle sphere and the Arts. All the interviews are podcasted for you to catch-up and listen.

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Guest:&nbsp;Francois Van Der Merwe | The South Africa Tobacco Transformation Alliance [SATTA] spokesperson
Illicit cigarettes are putting pressure on South Africa&rsquo;s legal tobacco industry, with an Ipsos study estimating that illicit products account for almost 75% of the market in 2026. With cigarettes selling for as little as R7 a pack, concerns are mounting over lost tax revenue, declining production and the impact on tobacco farmers and rural employment. Africa Melane speaks to Francois Van Der Merwe, spokesperson for SATTA, about the scale of the trade, the effectiveness of current interventions and what it will take to tackle illicit sales.
Early Breakfast with Africa Melane is 702&rsquo;s and CapeTalk&rsquo;s early morning talk show. Experienced broadcaster Africa Melane brings you the early morning news, sports, business, and interviews politicians and analysts to help make sense of the world. He also enjoys chatting to guests in the lifestyle sphere and the Arts. All the interviews are podcasted for you to catch-up and listen. Thank you for listening to this podcast from Early Breakfast with Africa Melane
&nbsp;
For more about the show click&nbsp; <a href="https://buff.ly/XHry7eQ">https://buff.ly/XHry7eQ</a> and find all the catch-up podcasts here <a href="https://buff.ly/XJ10LBU">https://buff.ly/XJ10LBU </a>Listen live on weekdays between 04:00 and 06:00 (SA Time) to the Early Breakfast with Africa Melane broadcast on 702 <a href="https://buff.ly/gk3y0Kj">https://buff.ly/gk3y0Kj</a> and CapeTalk <a href="https://buff.ly/NnFM3N">https://buff.ly/NnFM3N </a>Subscribe to the 702 and CapeTalk daily and weekly newsletters <a href="https://buff.ly/v5mfetc">https://buff.ly/v5mfetc </a>Follow us on social media: 702 on Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/TalkRadio702">https://www.facebook.com/TalkRadio702 </a>702 on TikTok: <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@talkradio702">https://www.tiktok.com/@talkradio702 </a>702 on Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/talkradio702/">https://www.instagram.com/talkradio702/ </a>702 on X: <a href="https://x.com/Radio702">https://x.com/Radio702 </a>702 on YouTube: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@radio702">https://www.youtube.com/@radio702</a>
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Your early morning chat - traffic - news fix delivered in a relaxed manner. weekdays from 4 am to 6 am.

Early Breakfast with Africa Melane

Your early morning catch-up with chat, traffic and news delivered in a relaxed manner. weekdays from 4 am to 6 am.

Your early morning catch-up with chat, traffic and news delivered in a relaxed manner. weekdays from 4 am to 6 am.

The fight against illicit cigarettes and lost tax revenue 

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/5dcefa8e-00a9-4595-8ce1-a4ab0080f142/clips/64aa83cb-13db-40ef-a6ee-b4e40037e9d4/transcript