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Although a new draft Tobacco Bill for South Africa was published in 2018 to get the country’s nicotine habit under control, it’s stalled for years. What’s behind the slow progress?

South Africa has struggled to update its tobacco control laws since it introduced the Tobacco Bill in 2018.

Researchers say young people are unlikely to kick their nicotine habit in the near future. A 2024 study found that nearly four in ten (37%) high school students in urban areas across eight of the country’s nine provinces have vaped at least once. One in six has used e-cigarettes within the past 30 days. Researchers called it a "vaping crisis".

New smoking laws are being planned in South Africa to bring tobacco control back on track. These new laws include making public spaces smoke-free, removing branding from tobacco packages, and banning displays at tills, which would cover both tobacco products and electronic cigarettes as well. The draft Bill was published in 2018, but it has languished for years, and it is unclear when — or if — it will become law.