2026 could be a turning point for nicotine policy in Africa. In this episode of GFN News, Joanna Junak speaks with Joseph Magero, consumer advocate and Chairman of the Campaign for Safer Alternatives, about the challenges and opportunities for harm reduction, the impact of restrictive policies, and how countries like South Africa, Kenya, and Nigeria are shaping the future of safer nicotine products.
Transcription:
00:04 - 01:18
[Joanna Junak]
Hello and welcome! I'm Joanna Junak and this is GFN News on GFN.tv. 2026 could be an important year for Africa in addressing nicotine addiction. While cigarette use remains high and rules around potentially less harmful alternatives are still unclear, The key question is whether African governments will start supporting safer options for adult smokers or continue treating all nicotine products as equally harmful. Joseph Magero, a consumer advocate and chairman of the Campaign for Serial Alternatives, is with us today to talk about what's next for nicotine and smoking in Africa. Hello, Joseph. Thank you for joining us today. Let's start with the tension between traditional nicotine control and harm reduction. What impact does it have on smoking in Africa?
01:20 - 01:50
[Joseph Magero]
Thank you, Joanna. I think the tension between tobacco control and harm reduction leads to policies that focus on prohibition rather than risk reduction. And this often limits access to safer nicotine products. And as a result, smoking rates remain high, the illicit market grows, and many smokers here are denied less harmful options that could otherwise help them quit combustible cigarettes.
01:52 - 01:56
[Joanna Junak]
So what's the main challenge governments face in addressing this issue?
01:58 - 02:18
[Joseph Magero]
Thank you. I think the main challenge is balancing public health protection with evidence-based regulation, as misinformation and fear of youth uptake often drive restrictive policies that block access to safer alternatives for adult smokers here on the continent.
02:20 - 02:28
[Joanna Junak]
And which African countries are leading in nicotine policy and harm reduction? And which still face the biggest challenges?
02:30 - 04:06
[Joseph Magero]
Okay. Well, I mean, for countries leading in evidence-based or more progressive nicotine policy, I think I should mention countries like South Africa, which has legalized the sale of vapes and heated products and is currently debating a differentiated regulatory bill that showed some openness to harm reduction approaches. I should also mention Kenya that has taken steps to regulate safer nicotine products by imposing taxes on vapes and has also regulated the sale of nicotine pouches and is also currently considering clear harm reduction regulation through policy that is still being contested at the Senate level. So for the countries which are facing the biggest challenges, I would maybe mention In Africa, there's many countries, according to the global state of tobacco harm reduction, we have about 38 that have no specific laws on vapes. And most countries lack THR policy frameworks, leaving safer negative products unregulated or effectively banned. Countries like Ethiopia and Uganda, for example, have limited or banned these products under strict tobacco control laws. posing barriers to THR adoption. In short, a few countries are cautiously moving towards evidence-based regulation, but most of them here still lack policies that end up impeding harm reduction.
04:07 - 04:16
[Joanna Junak]
When it comes to the black market, how could the lack of regulation for new nicotine products affect it?
04:17 - 04:42
[Joseph Magero]
I think a lack of regulation creates legal uncertainty, allowing unsafe products to circulate while pushing demand into the black market. I mean, this undermines consumer protection. It also fuels illicit trade. It reduces tax revenue for governments and makes it harder to control youth access or even ensure product quality.
04:43 - 04:48
[Joanna Junak]
So could this year be a turning point for nicotine policy in Africa?
04:51 - 05:34
[Joseph Magero]
Yes, of course. I mean, 2026 could be a turning point if governments shift from outdated cigarette focused laws to risk proportionate frameworks that explicitly regulate smoke free nicotine products and also leverage harm reduction to cut smoking at the same time. I mean, Adult use of alternatives is already growing faster than policy can keep up here. And key policy decisions here, especially in countries like South Africa, like Kenya and also Nigeria, may set up precedence for how nicotine products are treated for better or for worse.
05:34 - 05:41
[Joanna Junak]
And how would you describe the current situation regarding understanding and education around safer nicotine products?
05:43 - 06:17
[Joseph Magero]
Thank you. Unfortunately for us here in Africa, we heavily rely on what the WHO says about these products. And at the moment, as you may know, they frown upon safer nicotine products. they in turn inform policy makers to restrict or in impossible situations to ban this product. So there is lack of sufficient information or accurate information on safer nicotine products in Africa and that ends up affecting policy.
06:18 - 06:33
[Joanna Junak]
Thank you, Joseph. That's all for today. Tune in next time here on GFN TV or on our podcast. You can also find transcriptions of each episode on the GFN TV website. Thanks for watching or listening. See you next time.