13 March 2025 | 11:20 CAT
2-minute read

Healthy Living Alliance (HEALA)

The Healthy Living Alliance (HEALA) has strongly criticised Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana’s decision to increase Value-Added Tax (VAT) instead of raising the Health Promotion Levy (HPL) on sugar-sweetened beverages. HEALA argues that the move favours corporate profits over public health, exacerbating both poverty and the growing crisis of diet-related diseases in South Africa.

Speaking to Radio Islam International, HEALA’s Policy and Programme Manager, Angelika Grimbeek, described the decision as a missed opportunity to implement a proven public health measure. “This Health Promotion Levy is there to protect people from drinking these very dangerous, ultra-processed sugar beverages,” she said. “Something like putting a taxation on a very specific item like a sugar-sweetened beverage really helps people stop buying these products, which ultimately should lead to better health outcomes.”

The HPL was introduced in 2018 to discourage the consumption of sugary drinks, which are linked to obesity, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and even cancer. Despite research, including government-sponsored studies, showing that increasing the levy could save lives and boost the economy, the Treasury has repeatedly delayed raising the tax, citing concerns from the sugar industry.

Grimbeek dismissed the industry’s long-standing argument that a higher levy would threaten jobs and disrupt the sector. She pointed to the Sugar Master Plan, introduced in 2020, which was meant to help the industry transition to alternative revenue streams such as biofuel production. “They have had already five years to be able to start implementing this Master Plan,” she said. “It seems that the sugar industry constantly uses the Health Promotion Levy as a scapegoat… and they do so very publicly to the consumer base and to South Africans to make it a very big scare tactic.”

HEALA insists that stronger regulations are necessary to combat South Africa’s growing health crisis. The organisation supports a broader approach that includes front-of-package warning labels for unhealthy ultra-processed foods high in sugar, salt, and saturated fats. Grimbeek emphasised that HEALA’s advocacy is not an attack on farmers but a call for food justice. “We believe that every single South African should have equitable access to nutritious food,” she said. “There shouldn’t be people in South Africa going hungry, and there shouldn’t be this huge issue of food insecurity.”

With Treasury showing no signs of revisiting its decision, HEALA is now exploring new avenues to push for an increase in the HPL. Grimbeek highlighted the importance of ensuring fair public participation in policymaking, questioning why industry lobbying appears to hold more weight than civil society’s concerns.

“Why is there a favouritism happening of the sugar industry compared to civil society groups, to public participation processes that should be in place?” she asked.

As the debate continues, HEALA remains committed to pushing for policies that prioritise public health over industry interests. The organisation plans to engage with lawmakers, public health experts, and the broader public to build momentum for an increase in the sugar tax.

Listen to the full interview on Sabaahul Muslim with Moulana Junaid Kharsany.