Africa: Market and regulatory data analysis of the vaping sector

16th January 2025: Egypt: The Ministry of Health plans to establish a committee to ensure the enforcement of the Prevention of Smoking Law. This law prohibits smoking, vaping and heated tobacco use in government departments, educational facilities and clubs, and imposes fines of up to EGP20,000 ($400).
20th December 2024: Morocco: Following the approval of the budget law for the year 2025, starting 1st January 2025, disposable e-cigarettes will be subject to an internal consumption tax of MAD50 ($5) per unit.
22nd November 2024: Morocco: The parliament has approved the budget law for the year 2025, under which disposable e-cigarettes will be subject to an internal consumption tax of MAD50 ($5) per unit. The new rates will enter into force on 1st January 2025.
13th November 2024: Morocco: Yesterday (13th November), the Finance and Economic Development Committee of the parliament held a session to discuss the budget law for the year 2025. Opposition members suggested increasing the proposed MAD50 ($5) tax per unit on disposable e-cigarettes, with the Popular Movement Party and the Justice and Development Party both supporting increasing the proposed tax to MAD100 ($10), while the Party of Progress and Socialism suggested an increase to MAD90 ($9). In response to these proposals, Fouzi Lekjaa, interim minister of budget, argued that higher taxes may inadvertently stimulate smuggling, press reports. Ultimately, the committee voted to keep the government’s original proposal.
4th November 2024: South Africa: The Portfolio Committee on Health has resumed public hearings on the Tobacco Products and Electronic Delivery Systems Control Bill, which aims to regulate the sale, advertising and packaging of tobacco products and e-cigarettes. The hearings are taking place in the provinces that were not reached by the previous parliament. Following the public participation, which is scheduled to end on 10th November, the committee will review all public submissions and engage with organisations that made written submissions.
25th October 2024: South Africa: Yesterday (24th October), the Portfolio Committee on Health met with the Department of Health to discuss the Tobacco Products and Electronic Delivery Systems Control Bill, which aims to regulate the sale, advertising and packaging of tobacco products and e-cigarettes. Members of the committee questioned why the bill does not differentiate between the levels of harm posed by different nicotine-containing products and why harm reduction approaches are not applied to tobacco in the same way as for other substances. The committee will conduct a public consultation with stakeholders, but specific details were not disclosed.
24th October 2024: Morocco: Member of parliament (MP) Idriss Al-Sentissi, head of the Popular Movement party, has submitted a written question to the Ministry of Health regarding the measures that the ministry intends to take to regulate the promotion and advertising of e-cigarettes. Al-Sentissi highlighted the absence of legal restrictions that allow the unregulated promotion of these products, particularly among young people. The Popular Movement party submitted a bill in 2022, which is still being contested, aimed at imposing stricter rules on public vaping, health warnings on packaging, and bans on e-cig advertising and their sale to under-age consumers.
22nd October 2024: Morocco: The budget law for the year 2025 has been presented to the parliament. Under the proposed bill, disposable e-cigarettes will be subject to an internal consumption tax of MAD50 ($5.05) per unit.
21st October 2024: South Africa: The South African Bureau of Standards (SABS) has published its Vaping Products Standard, which will set safety and technical requirements for vaping products. The standard is voluntary and will apply to electronic vaping products with and without nicotine, e-liquid containers, filling mechanisms and accessories. According to the press, among other things, the standard recommends a maximum nicotine content of 35 mg/ml.
18th October 2024: Egypt: The Ministry of Health has issued a warning against electronic smoking, saying it increases the risk of heart attacks and lung infections within 24 hours of usage.
14th October 2024: Algeria: The Finance Bill for the fiscal year 2025 has been presented to the parliament. Under the proposed bill, corporate entities producing tobacco – including e-cigarettes – will be subject to a tax on corporate profits at a rate of 31%. The tax on corporate profits is levied on the net profits of enterprises during the accounting period.
7th October 2024: Egypt: The Ministry of Health has released a series of warnings about the dangers of tobacco use, saying that the use of inhalable tobacco products and chewing tobacco can harm dental health. The ministry also highlighted that exposure to tobacco smoke poses severe risks to children, including childhood cancer, reduced physical growth, pneumonia, bronchitis, increased risk of sudden infant death syndrome, and chronic respiratory diseases such as asthma, ear infections, and decreased lung function.

LATEST ALERTS

E-cigarettes in Africa

New tax on single-use vapes in Morocco fuels disagreements on its aim and rate

Proposed Iraqi bill defining ENDS could signal first step in future e-cig regulation

Smoke-free products on way towards making up the majority of PMI’s sales

Egypt: market snapshot, September 2024

South Africa: market snapshot, July 2024

Egypt: market snapshot, July 2023

Top changes that matter in this month’s Policy Radar update, May 2024

Top changes that matter in this month’s Policy Radar update, February 2024

Morocco: e-cigarette regulation, January 2024

Interested in this region? Check our new country subscriptions

Online e-cig pricing: Egypt

Online e-cig pricing: South Africa

Tamarind Intelligence Policy Radar, November

Global regulatory tracker: current regulation of e-cigs, November

Key global e-cigarette markets database, January 2025

ECigIntelligence compliance calendar

International e-cigarette stakeholders database

Sign up to our newsletter

LATEST ALERTS

E-cigarettes in Africa

Interested in this region? Check our new country subscriptions

Sign up to our newsletter

Start your FREE trial