Liquor Retailers Call for Review of South Africa's Alcohol Regulations

Industry Concerns Over Regulations

South African liquor retailers are urging government to reduce bureaucratic hurdles in alcohol sales regulations. The call comes amid ongoing challenges with compliance and the illicit alcohol trade.

Key issues raised include:

• Difficulties meeting location requirements (like operating 100 meters from roads in dense urban areas)
• Complex tax compliance processes for small businesses
• Problems with undocumented traders renting non-compliant premises

"The same regulations meant to ensure responsibility are strangling legitimate businesses," argued CEO: Black Business Council, Kganki Matabane*, citing impossible requirements like operating 100 meters from roads in dense townships. Meanwhile, undocumented foreign traders renting non-compliant premises were flagged as key distributors of counterfeit alcohol.

Combating Illicit Alcohol Trade

Participants discussed solutions to identify counterfeit alcohol:

• The CGCSA's barcode verification app that scans products to confirm authenticity
• Reporting systems for suspicious products
• Need for better enforcement against unlicensed operators

Proposed Solutions

• Technology: CGCSA’s "myCGCSA" app (named in transcript) allows:
  • Barcode scanning to verify product authenticity.
  • Direct reporting of counterfeit alcohol.
• Training: Emphasis on "intentional training and education on compliance" for retailers

Balancing Regulation and Business

Retailers with decades of operation emphasized:

• Importance of complying with trading hours
• Challenges managing customer behavior at establishments
• Requests for simplified licensing processes

The discussions highlighted the alcohol sector's economic role while stressing the need for practical regulations that support legitimate businesses.