It’s no secret South Africans love to imbibe — especially over the festive season.
But a report this week that they spent a jaw-dropping R7.7bn on alcohol over just two days last month — Christmas and Boxing Day — has been met with scepticism.
The figure was first mentioned during an SABC interview and quickly repeated on social media and news outlets. Assuming 20-million drinking adult participants, it would amount to an average spend of R385 a person on alcohol over just 48 hours. But with no clear source for the data, experts are questioning its legitimacy.
Lucky Ntimane, convener of the Liquor Retailers’ Association — a nonprofit organisation to protect and promote the interests of taverners, shebeen owners, bootleggers, liquor store owners and others — said: “I have seen this R7.7bn figure in the news and I can tell you that it is just not possible.
All we can do is make a guess. But what we do know for sure is that alcohol sales in December are generally about 30% more than any other month
— Lucky Ntimane, convener of the Liquor Retailers’ Association
“It is not scientific because there is no system in place to know that number. SAB will never show you their figures, Heineken will never tell you. And even if you use researchers, all they will be able to find out is sales from retailers like liquor stores and Makro, and even then they will never know what is going on in the informal retail space,” Ntimane said.
“All we can do is make a guess. But what we do know for sure is that alcohol sales in December are generally about 30% more than any other month.”
Prof Charles Parry, chief specialist scientist at the South African Medical Research Council’s mental health, alcohol, substance use and tobacco research unit, said: “I also saw that figure and have no idea where it comes from. There is no good alcohol sales data available in near real time. That is why I believe we need a mandated track-and-trace system on alcohol products (possibly using barcodes and scanners) which allows for tracking alcohol products from manufacture down the distribution chain to retailers.
“This would give a view of how much alcohol is being sold through regulated outlets. Countries like Russia and Kenya have track-and-trace systems.”
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