---
title: "BAT executive says South Africa illicit tobacco trade reaches 75% of market, costs public R100 million a day"
type: "News"
locale: "en"
url: "https://longbridge.com/en/news/298018965.md"
description: "BAT executives report that illicit tobacco trade in South Africa accounts for up to 75% of the market, costing the public ZAR 100 million daily. The company urges a shift from enforcement to prosecutions and advocates for risk-proportionate regulation to curb illegal trade and support the transition to smokeless products across Africa."
datetime: "2026-09-04T09:34:35.000Z"
locales:
  - [zh-CN](https://longbridge.com/zh-CN/news/298018965.md)
  - [en](https://longbridge.com/en/news/298018965.md)
  - [zh-HK](https://longbridge.com/zh-HK/news/298018965.md)
generator: "portal-rs"
---

# BAT executive says South Africa illicit tobacco trade reaches 75% of market, costs public R100 million a day

-   British American Tobacco management highlighted South Africa’s illicit tobacco trade at up to 75% of the market in an interview. \* Estimated fiscal impact put at ZAR 100 million a day, raising enforcement and policy risks for the legal tobacco industry. \* Called for a shift from enforcement commitments to prosecutions, signaling pressure for tougher regulatory action. \* Promoted risk-proportionate regulation as a lever to curb illicit trade and support a shift toward smokeless products across Africa. Disclaimer: This news brief was created by Public Technologies (PUBT) using generative artificial intelligence. While PUBT strives to provide accurate and timely information, this AI-generated content is for informational purposes only and should not be interpreted as financial, investment, or legal advice. British American Tobacco plc published the original content used to generate this news brief on September 04, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained therein. © Copyright 2026 - Public Technologies (PUBT) Original Document: here

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> **Disclaimer: This article is for reference only and does not constitute any investment advice.**