Industry data on alcohol sales in South Africa between 1995 and 2022 and its value in detecting the impact of policy interventions related to packaging and Covid-19 alcohol availability

Aims: To assess changes in total alcohol consumed over time, changes in consumption of different alcoholic beverages and the utility of industry sales data to evaluate the impact of policy changes related to a packaging ban on wine products in September 2007 and bans on alcohol sales during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021 in South Africa. Design. Alcohol industry sales data as a proxy for consumption was assessed using statistics presented in South African Wine Industry Information & Systems (SAWIS) booklets released annually between 1995 and 2022 and used to describe changes over time in consumption overall, and by product, and the impact on consumption from changes in policy. Results. Per capita consumption of alcoholic beverages overall has held steady or declined over time, but declines were noted in the market share of wine and beer (especially) and a massive increase for RTDs. The consumption data also indicated short term effects of Covid-19 interventions (especially in 2020) in terms of reducing overall alcohol consumption, with a return to prior levels in 2022. Industry data on packaging for wine was able to show the immediate and longer-term impact of the 2007 ban on wine sold in foil-bags. Conclusion. Industry data are a useful adjunct to consumer measures of alcohol use, as well as in detecting the impact of policy changes related to availability and packaging, notwithstanding gaps in information on illicit/unrecorded sales and other limitations.