The National Treasury has just published a policy review on the taxation of alcoholic beverages South Africa. This review may change the minimum unit price of alcohol and this may inform how alcohol may be taxed in the upcoming budget for 2025. This review could become a key intervention that may change accessibility and prevalence of alcohol in communities. National Treasury has opened the review for public comment to get inputs on how the introduction of minimum unit pricing can help reduce alcohol abuse and find policy interventions that can reflect its commitment to harm reduction.

Our next guest argues that minimum unit price for alcoholic beverages would not only lead to better health outcomes but it would address other social harms affected by high alcohol consumption such as interpersonal violence, self-harm and road accidents. Minimum Unit Pricing may also save government close to R600 million, if implemented (law enforcement, emergency and healthcare resources). To share the implications of this development and tell us why this is a potential game-changer for public health, we are joined by...

Guest : Zimasa Mpemnyama - Project Lead for the Alcohol Harms Reduction (AHR) program at the DG Murray Trust