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Motsoaledi warns unhealthy food and alcohol marketing is fuelling diseaseHealth Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi has renewed calls for stricter regulation of the marketing of unhealthy foods and alcoholic beverages, arguing that South Africa cannot curb rising rates of obesity and other non-communicable diseases while companies continue to spend heavily promoting products linked to poor health. 10 Jul 2026  Motsoaledi speaks at the SAHRC. Source: YouTube. Stronger actionAddressing the South African Human Rights Commission's inquiry into the country's food system, Motsoaledi said government should take stronger action against what he described as the "commercial determinants of health" – industries that profit from products high in sugar and salt, as well as alcohol and tobacco. He argued that public health messaging struggles to compete with the marketing budgets of major brands, noting that alcohol companies were already spending about R1bn annually on advertising more than a decade ago. "You don't spend R1bn advertising your product unless you know you are getting many times that back," he said. "Commercial activities determine many health outcomes," Motsoaledi said. He said the Health Promotion Levy (sugar tax) was introduced to reduce sugar consumption rather than raise revenue, arguing that South Africa is facing a growing burden of non-communicable diseases such as diabetes and cancer. "The treatments are very expensive," he said, referring to diseases including breast cancer and diabetes. Motsoaledi added that non-communicable diseases are unlikely to attract the same level of global funding as HIV and tuberculosis because they are not infectious and do not directly threaten wealthier countries. Celebrities and sportsMotsoaledi also questioned the influence of celebrity and sports sponsorships, saying children exposed to athletes promoting alcohol were more likely to trust those messages than classroom health education. The minister pointed to existing interventions including the Health Promotion Levy (sugar tax), sodium reduction regulations and proposed front-of-pack warning labels as measures designed to improve public health, while indicating that stronger legislative recommendations from the inquiry could help government tighten protections. See the hearings here. About Karabo LedwabaKarabo Ledwaba is a Marketing and Media Editor at Bizcommunity and award-winning journalist. Before joining the publication she worked at Sowetan as a content producer and reporter. She was also responsible for the leadership page at SMag, Sowetan's lifestyle magazine. Contact her at marketingnews@bizcommunity.com View my profile and articles... |