South Africa imposed an unprecedented ban on cigarettes which lasted nearly five months as part of Covid-19 measures aimed at preventing respiratory problems associated with smoking. While the ban was ongoing, few smokers were deterred, thanks to the thriving illegal market. When the ban was lifted on 18 Aug, the legal cigarette market has again opened with retailers and consumers expressing mixed feelings.
Speaking in an interview, local retailer Minesh Bhika provided a general overview on what the retailers experienced during the ban, the current prevailing circumstances and the outlook moving forward. “We have been having queries already since the ban was lifted and we have had to sell whatever we had but a smoker is brand conscious, and they will always look for the brand they like, so we are hoping deliveries come in so that everything becomes normal, when it comes to health, we are not sure because even when cigarettes were banned, people still smoked, not sure how it affected hospital beds”, said Minesh.
For smokers, the lifting of the ban has come with a strong sense of relief in form of easy access to affordable cigarettes and smoking without worrying about the legal implications. Speaking in an interview, Nathan Cherry couldn’t hide his delight at the development.
“It puts happy smile on my face actually, it killed us in the first place, it took my salary to afford cigarettes, just glad its back, now I can smoke freely and at a cheaper rate” said Nathan.
With the ban lifted, the business of cigarettes has received a timely boost.
