An organisation in South Africa has written to President Cyril Ramaphosa proposing that the legal drinking age should be increased from 18 to between 21 and 23.
Alcohol abuse is a prevalent issue in South Africa that often results in situations like domestic abuse and drunk driving, putting lives at risk.
Several proposals have been made over the years to rein in the country’s use of alcohol, though little progress has been made in this regard.
In response, an East London-based non-profit known as Gatekeepers South Africa has written a letter to the presidency calling for stricter regulations for the sale and consumption of alcohol, reported News24.
Notably, the group is calling for the nation’s drinking age to be raised by between three and five years, from 18 to 21 or 23.
This is not the first time something like this has been proposed, as the Department of Trade, Industry, and Competition (DTIC) introduced the Liquor Amendment Bill nearly a decade ago in 2016.
One of the proposals included in the bill was to raise the drinking age from 18 to 21, though this has been delayed several times.
In addition to the higher drinking age, Gatekeepers is calling for alcohol advertising to be banned in all public spaces, similar to cigarettes.
“A good few years ago, legislation was brought in to stop the advertising of cigarettes because it was harmful to our lungs,” said Lizelle Maurice, a member of Gatekeepers South Africa.
“The abuse of alcohol has far worse repercussions than cigarettes.”
She pointed out that alcohol is a driving force behind many of South Africa’s social issues, including drunk driving, gender based violence, femicide, and Foetal Alcohol Syndrome.
“According to the World Health Organisation, South Africa has one of the highest reported per capita rates of alcohol consumption in the world.”
Gatekeepers argues that harsher punishments are needed for businesses that sell alcohol to minors, including liquor stores, nightclubs, and taverns.
The DTIC said that the Liquor Amendment Bill was finalized at the National Economic Development and Labour Council’s Trade and Industry Chamber Task Team in 2017, and that the amended bill was brought before the Cabinet Committee in 2018.
“The bill was, however, not approved and the DTIC, due to the number of its legislation in parliament at that time, resolved to keep the bill in abeyance with the intention of introducing it in the coming administration,” said DTIC spokesperson Bongani Lukhele.
Lukhele explained that the bill, in its current state, was considered inadequate to address South Africa’s alcohol-related problems following the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020.
Between 2022 and 2023, the department engaged in intergovernmental discussions to address alcohol abuse.
More recently, the DTIC engaged with the National Liquor Policy Council between July and October 2025 to review the Liquor Amendment Bill to develop revised a revised bill that takes into account new developments in the alcohol market.
Drunk driving in South Africa
Driving under the influence (DUI) is a serious problem that causes roughly 58% of all road deaths in South Africa.
It’s also an issue that tends to spike over the December holidays, with approximately 10,000 people being arrested every year for DUI offences over this period.
Younger drivers are often a major part of this, as events like matric dances and end-of-school “Rage” festivals tend to encourage excessive drinking.
The CEO of MasterDrive, Eugene Herbert, argued that the country needs a collective commitment to change its attitudes towards drunk driving.
He argued that DUI deaths are preventable and that all citizens have a role to play in reducing the number of road fatalities.
Herbert said that South Africa needs to establish a culture of accountability, with parents educating their kids about the dangers of alcohol, and that friends, family, and companies should encourage moderation at events and intervene when an intoxicated person attempts to drive.
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