# A new Ipsos study shows that 75.4-percent of South African retailers sell cigarettes below the minimum tax threshold of 27-rand for 12 per pack. The research found illicit products across all nine provinces, including some formal retail outlets. British American Tobacco South Africa says illegal cigarette sales are undermining local manufacturing and tobacco farming. The company estimates the government loses 30-billion-rand annually in excise tax revenue. Local tobacco production has fallen 53-percent since 2022, while farmer numbers have dropped sharply.
Study shows illicit cigarette sales surge across South Africa