The harmful use of alcohol is a serious issue and requires a multi-stakeholder response with all partners who are prepared to do things differently. At SAB, we believe greater collaboration between the private sector, government and civil society would meaningfully reduce the harmful use of alcohol in South Africa.
We need to reduce the harmful use of alcohol and promote a culture of responsible drinking in SA and this requires a commitment to mutual public accountability, evidence-based methods and transparency with data and reporting.
As a first step, the alcohol industry’s immediate focus should be largely internal, to accelerate delivery – aligning business models, shifting internal performance incentives and KPIs, branding, commercial terms and tactical actions to promote and accelerate harm reduction, while continuing to rollout no/low-alcohol products during high-risk occasions, encouraging car-free events and strengthening the advertising code related to alcohol.
