Thursday marked the annual commemoration of No Alcohol Day, drawing attention to South Africa’s deeply entrenched drinking culture. The country holds an unfortunate title—topping the global list of nations with heavy drinkers, placing itself among the top twenty for per capita alcohol consumption worldwide. Against this backdrop, Minister of Social Development Sisisi Tolashe issued a stern appeal for citizens to rethink their relationship with alcohol, stressing the need for communities to take action against the harmful effects of excessive drinking.
The statistics paint a bleak picture. According to the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC), there is a liquor outlet for every 190 people in the country. Minister Tolashe highlighted that alcohol remains South Africa’s most misused drug, contributing heavily to the nation’s public health crisis. “The per capita consumption of alcohol in South Africa is 11 liters,” Tolashe said, “ranking the country at the top in Africa and raising alarm about the social and health impacts.”
She pointed to the grim toll alcohol takes on the nation’s health system. “Alcohol use is a major contributor to the global burden of disease, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. In South Africa, more than 13 million disability-adjusted life years—or 7% of the total disease burden—are directly linked to alcohol,” she continued. The minister’s remarks serve as a sobering reminder of how deeply alcohol misuse is woven into the social fabric of the nation, harming the most vulnerable.
One demographic is particularly at risk: the youth. “Young people aged 15 to 29 bear the greatest burden of alcohol-related harm,” Tolashe stated, stressing that men are more prone to alcohol misuse, but young women are increasingly falling prey to the same dangers. The devastation that alcohol wreaks on the younger generation is exemplified by the Enyobeni Tavern tragedy in Scenery Park, Eastern Cape. Just two years ago, minors lost their lives after consuming alcohol at the infamous tavern, a heartbreaking incident that continues to resonate across the country.
Tolashe urged citizens to take an active role in preventing such incidents from happening again, calling for communities to report unregistered taverns and establishments that sell alcohol to minors. “We cannot afford another Enyobeni,” the minister warned, pressing the importance of stricter enforcement in neighborhoods where alcohol abuse is rampant.
