E-cig heated tobacco and combustible-alternatives sector data in Africa

30th January 2023: Egypt: Ashraf Hatem, chairman of the House of Representatives’ Health Committee, has argued that although novel nicotine products pose significant health risks, they are less harmful than regular cigarettes, and that curbing nicotine addiction can begin gradually by relying on e-cigarettes or heated tobacco to replace regular cigarettes, press reports.
25th January 2023: Egypt: In a televised interview, Ahmed Abdel-Maged, secretary of the Senate's Health Committee, said that e-cigarettes are as harmful as smoking. He said tobacco companies mislead the public by marketing them as healthy alternatives to smoking, while they are equally dangerous as the inhaled vapour contains nicotine, which is addictive. Earlier this week, a bill was submitted to the Senate’s Health Committee to expand usage restrictions on e-cigarettes and to ban vaping in universities and schools in order to curb their widespread use by youth.
23rd January 2023: Tunisia: E-cigarette importers and manufacturers have until 13th December to place a health warning on their products. Last year, the health ministry imposed health warnings covering 70% of the packaging, with an original deadline of 21st January 2023. Since 2014, e-cigarettes are treated as a tobacco product and subject to the monopoly of the National Administration of Tobacco and Matches.
20th January 2023: Egypt: A bill presented by representative Mohamed Emara – secretary of the Youth and Sports Committee – will be discussed by the Senate health committee on Sunday, 22nd January. Among the provisions of the bill are expanding usage restrictions on e-cigarettes and banning vaping in universities and schools in order to curb their widespread use by youth, press reports.
18th January 2023: South Africa: The National Treasury has put into effect the Taxation Laws Amendment Act, introducing a flat excise duty rate of ZAR2.90 ($0.17) per ml for both nicotine and non-nicotine vaping products. The tax will come into force on 1st June.
16th January 2023: Morocco: The Party of Progress and Socialism proposal to amend Law No. 15.91/1995 was referred to the Justice, Legislation and Human Rights Committee of the parliament for further discussion on Friday (13th January). The bill – which proposes the implementation of a ban on using tobacco in public areas and lays down restrictions on the marketing and advertising of all tobacco products – defines tobacco products as any product made entirely or partly from tobacco, including hookahs, heated tobacco, and electronic cigarettes.
9th January 2023: Morocco: Law No. 50.22/2023 regarding budget law for the year 2023 entered into force in January 2023, stipulating a tax increase on e-liquids of 40% of the retail sale price.
9th January 2023: Egypt: A member of the House of Representatives, Ghada Ali, requested a briefing from the Ministers of Health and Supply regarding the negligence of the Consumer Protection Agency in monitoring of the sale of vaping products and heated tobacco, which are sold without supervision to under-18s, affecting their mental and physical health, press reports. Moreover, she argued that vaping and smoking of any kind threatens the health of the Egyptian people, and called for stricter rules on monitoring the places that sell e-cigarettes and heated tobacco.
9th January 2023: Morocco: The Party of Progress and Socialism proposed to amend Law No. 15.91/1995 to include e-cigarettes and heated tobacco in the tobacco regime and to increase the sanctions on the public use and advertising of e-cigs and heated tobacco on TV, the internet, social media, the radio and in the press, and allocate the revenues of these fines for the benefit of scientific research in the field of health and treatment of tobacco addiction. Fines would range between MAD300 ($30) and MAD600 ($59) for those who violate the public usage ban.
9th January 2023: Morocco: The centre-right Islamist Justice and Development party proposed a bill to ban the advertisement of e-cigarettes in public places. The bill, which was referred to the Justice, Legislation and Human Rights Committee of the parliament for further discussion on Friday (6th January) proposes banning the promotion of e-cigarettes on TV, on the radio, in the media and in newspapers; in cultural and sports facilities; in government offices and establishments; and in stadiums or during sporting events. It also proposes banning the display of e-cigarettes in a way that encourages increasing consumption. Proposed penalties for violations are between MAD500 ($49) and MAD1,000 ($98) with an increase to MAD5,000 ($490) per repeat offence.
14th December 2022: South Africa: The government has tabled the Tobacco Products and Electronic Delivery System Control Bill in Parliament. The latest version of the bill proposes a total ban on the use of tobacco or e-cigarettes in indoor public places and certain outdoor areas, and strengthens the rules on packaging and health warnings.

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Regulatory report: Algeria, April 2021

Regulatory report: South Africa, February 2021

Pricing snapshots

Online e-cig pricing: Egypt Q3 2022

Online e-cig pricing: South Africa Q3 2022

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Regulatory databases

ECigIntelligence compliance calendar

Global regulatory tracker: current regulation of e-cigs, January 2023

Tamarind Intelligence Policy Radar, November

Tamarind Intelligence Policy Radar trial version

International e-cigarette stakeholders database

Daily news alerts

Market profile databases

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Infographics

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Graphic: Stores/POS for Twisp in South Africa, July 2019

Graphic: E-cig users form factors, South Africa July 2019

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