New legal drinking age incoming for South Africa? Bold proposal lands on Ramaphosa’s desk
Activists want President Cyril Ramaphosa to raise South Africa’s legal drinking age as alcohol-related harm and spending reach record highs.
East London-based non-profit organisation Gatekeeper South Africa has formally petitioned President Cyril Ramaphosa to raise the national legal drinking age from 18 to 23. This proposal, according to group, aims to create a significant barrier against the social harms currently “spiralling out of control” across the country.
As reported by Newzroom Afrika, the group is also calling for a total ban on alcohol advertising in public spaces.
Lizelle Maurice, the founding director of Gatekeeper South Africa, argues that the move is essential to address the high rates of gender-based violence and drunk driving that plague South African communities. While the Liquor Amendment Bill of 2016 previously suggested raising the age to 21, the bill has remained stalled for nearly a decade.
SA’s billion-rand-a-day drinking habit
South Africa’s relationship with alcohol is increasingly under the microscope as consumption rates soar. According to the World Health Organisation in early 2025, South Africa had the fifth-highest alcohol consumption rate in the world. On average, a South African drinker consumes approximately 30 litres of alcohol per year.
The financial impact is equally staggering. As reported, South Africans spend roughly R150 billion annually on alcohol. During the 2025 festive season, consumer spending reportedly tripled, with daily sales exceeding R1 billion in the days leading up to New Year’s Eve.
| Alcohol Consumption Metric | South African Statistic |
|---|---|
| Global Consumption Rank | 5th highest in the world |
| Annual Premature Deaths | 62,000 people |
| Total Annual Spending | R150 billion |
| Binge Drinker Percentage | 59% of drinkers |
Will raising the legal drinking age actually work?
Critics and researchers are divided on whether a legislative shift will translate to real-world change. Past research, particularly from the United States, suggests that a Minimum Legal Drinking Age (MLDA) of 21 does save lives by reducing alcohol-related crashes and fatalities among youth.
Scientific evidence highlights that the human brain does not fully develop until age 25 or 26, and research indicates that delaying alcohol use for as long as possible reduces the early onset of addiction, which can set in within six to 18 months in teenagers compared to five years in adults.
However, an X (Twitter) poll by Newzroom Afrika found that only 16.1% of viewers believed raising the legal drinking age would effectively reduce abuse. Many South Africans argue that the problem lies with parental negligence and a lack of enforcement.
There are also fears that stricter laws could drive consumption underground, worsening the issue of illicit alcohol, which already accounts for 26% of consumption.
Ultimately, the proposal faces significant socioeconomic hurdles. With high unemployment rates in South Africa often cited as a catalyst for drinking, many believe the government must fix underlying societal issues rather than just altering age limits.