E-cigarettes in Africa

Egypt: A circular issued by the Customs Authority makes clear that the General Organisation for Export and Import Control (GOEIC) is responsible for testing e-liquids in the authority’s laboratories – located in Egyptian ports – to ensure they conform to Egyptian standards.

South Africa: The Department of Health has told ECigIntelligence that the draft Control of Tobacco Products and Electronic Delivery Systems Bill, first put forward in 2018, has been approved by the Forum of South African Directors General for presentation to the cabinet. Ministers will now either agree and submit the bill to parliament or suggest changes. The next steps, including the timetable, will be guided by the cabinet.

Egypt: The Ministry of Finance has issued a decree setting out a new process for paying the health insurance tax on tobacco products. Decree No. (369) of 2022, published in the Official Gazette, requires the tax to be paid to the state’s public treasury, through Central Bank of Egypt account 2/70/30301/2, instead of the Health Insurance Authority. E-liquids are taxed in Egypt are taxed at a rate of EGP2 ($0.11) per ml plus 10% of the price.

Morocco: The Haraki Group of members of the centre-right Popular Movement submitted a draft bill on e-cigarettes to the House of Representatives during a public session yesterday. According to press reports, the proposals include stricter rules on public vaping, health warnings on packaging, a ban on e-cig advertising and on their sale to minors. However, as the party holds only 28 of the 395 seats in the House, the bill is unlikely to gather sufficient support.

Egypt: The Ministry of Health and Population has tweeted a warning about e-cigarettes, which it says “do not help you quit smoking”. It adds: “E-cigarettes contain toxic substances that harm your health just like regular cigarettes.”

Egypt: The Egyptian Consumer Protection Agency (CPA) has extended to October the deadline for manufacturers, importers and distributors of tobacco and its alternatives to print prices on their products using QR codes. A December 2021 resolution originally gave companies until July 2022 to effect the change.

South Africa: The Supreme Court of Appeal has ruled that the regulations banning the sale of tobacco products during the Covid-19 lockdown were invalid and unconstitutional. This comes after the minister of co-operative governance and traditional affairs imposed a series of regulations to contain Covid-19, including a ban on the sale of heated tobacco and e-cigarettes.