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Your Choice
has Power

Illicit trade threatens all of South African society. It drives crime, harms health, risks our safety, destroys businesses and undermines social stability.

Buying illicit or counterfeit goods robs workers of jobs and limits the government’s ability to fund services for our people. Illicit products also pose massive health risks. Join the fight against illicit trade! If you suspect fake goods, do not purchase them. Report your suspicions to authorities.

No Warning Labels. No Accountability. No Receipt For The Harm.

About Us

The Illicit Economy Task Forces is an initiative of the Consumer Goods Council of SA (CGCSA) to address the growing crisis of illicit and counterfeit trade.

The Task Forces will implement a coordinated and multi-industry approach to combat the illicit economy, focusing on the most affected product categories.​

In partnership with:

#YourChoiceHasPower is our flagship campaign. Our goal is to highlight two important facts:

01

With illicit trade, someone always pays.

02

When we choose better, we build a better South Africa.

Someone Always Pays

Illicit trade is a major threat to South African society. Industries including alcohol, cigarettes, confectionary, pharmaceuticals, food and apparel are all affected.

Buying illicit or counterfeit goods destroys legitimate industries. It robs workers of jobs, and because illegal businesses pay no taxes, it limits the government’s ability to fund services for our people. llicit food and consumer products like medicines and pesticides are not tested by health authorities and pose a significant health risk. No one knows what is in these products and using them is extremely dangerous. Join the fight against illicit trade! If you suspect fake goods, do not purchase them. Your choice has power. Report your suspicions to authorities.

R84BN

lost in cigarette taxes 2020-2022

Univeristy of Cape Town & Ipsos, 2026

75%

of the cigarette market is illicit

SARS commissioner, (Sars) Edward Kieswetter 2025

1 In 5

Alcholic drinks are sold illegally

Wineland Media (2025)

Media Release

A powerful new investigative video series launched at a high-profile event in Johannesburg yesterday, bringing the harmful, human costs of the illicit economy home to South African viewers.

Someone Always Pays is an investigative series probing the country’s illicit-goods trade, exposing how these products enter supply chains, and then have devastating impacts right across society.

Read More

At what Cost

‘At What Cost’ shows the human impact of illicit trade. Investigative journalists speak to people directly affected by fake goods. They visit the suppliers providing these goods and interview experts about the several ways that illicit trade is harming South Africa and our people.

Your Choice Has Power is an initiative of AITA SA, (The Anti-Illicit and Illegal Trade Alliance of South Africa), an industry partnership dedicated to the fight against illicit goods, and raising consumer awareness of how they can fight the source undermining South African society.

Episode 1

Episode 2

effects of illicit trade

Illicit goods rob businesses of income, destroy jobs, endanger people’s lives, support criminal networks, and steal tax income.

The trade in illicit goods is destroying South Africa’s economy, and harming our people.  When we buy fake goods, it robs legitimate businesses of income. That destroys jobs and means government has less tax income for social services.  

R1.2 Trillion

Estimated value of South Africa’s counterfeit-goods economy

12–15% of GDP

Estimated share of the economy attributed to illicit trade

R300 billion

Estimated annual tax revenue lost due to illicit goods

230 jobs lost

linked to the impact of black-market cigarettes

Illicit Trade
Costs Lives & Livelihoods

Children are dying

South Africa has also seen horrific health impacts due to counterfeit snack products, which have led to the deaths of several children in recent years.  

One case saw six children tragically dying, after allegedly eating poisoned snacks, purchased at a Soweto spaza shop.  

Learn more

Hidden costs

Nearly 1 in 5 alcoholic drinks sold in South Africa is illegal — posing serious risks to health and public finances. 

Harmful substances such as methanol are often found in these products, leading to severe illness and fatalities.  Illicit alcohol now accounts for 18% of all alcohol sold in the country. 

Learn more

Silent Killer

A legal pack of cigarettes now costs at least R35, while illicit packs sell for R10 or less.  Illicit cigarettes are not subject to quality controls, health warnings and safety standards.  

SARS Commissioner Edward Kieswetter says South Africa’s cigarette trade has been “captured by criminal syndicates”. Research from the University of Cape Town, Ipsos, and Tax Justice SA shows the illicit tobacco makes up 75% of the cigarette market, costing the state roughly R84 billion ($4.9 billion) in tax income between 2020 and 2022. 

Learn more

Lethal injection

Substandard and falsified medicines threaten both public health and economic stability. At least 1 in 10 medicines in low- and middle-income countries are substandard or falsified. 

Counterfeit medications have been linked to severe health issues, including strokes and high blood pressure.   Illicit trade threatens public safety. Black-market smuggling syndicates are linked to distributers of other illicit goods such as drug traffickers. 

Learn more

Join the Fight
against illicit trade

AITA SA is a grassroots campaign to inform South Africans how their purchasing decisions affect the fight against illicit trade. #YourChoiceHasPower

Choosing to buy a product that seems unreasonably cheap may be a decision that robs someone of their job, undermines South Africa’s economy and even puts your family at risk!   Consumers can play their part in fighting illicit trade by choosing wisely, and reporting cases of suspected illicit goods.  

Call to Report

0800 014 856

Visit CGCSA Website

For more details