The Healthy Living Alliance (HEALA) has called on government to strengthen measures aimed at reducing diet-related diseases, urging Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana to increase the Health Promotion Levy to 20% and finalise regulations for front-of-pack warning labels on food products.
The call comes as Godongwana prepares to deliver the 2026 Medium Term Budget Policy Statement (MTBPS) on Wednesday, 21 October, with the organisation warning that the country’s long-term health challenges also carry significant economic consequences.
HEALA wants government to approve Regulation R3337 by 10 December 2026, more than three years after the proposed regulations were published in draft form in April 2023.
What the proposed food warning labels would mean
Through its Front of Package Labelling 90 campaign, HEALA is pushing for prominent warnings on packaged foods that are high in sugar, sodium and saturated fat.
The proposed regulations also cover food marketing and health claims, including measures intended to protect children from the promotion of unhealthy products.
The organisation says warning labels would make it easier for consumers to identify products with high levels of nutrients associated with health risks, without having to interpret complicated nutritional information printed on the back of packaging.
HEALA believes the measures could also encourage manufacturers to reformulate products to meet healthier nutritional standards.
Its campaign argues that South Africans have a right to understand what is in the food they buy and feed their families.
HEALA calls for stronger sugar levy
The organisation is also calling for the Health Promotion Levy (HPL), commonly known as the sugar tax, to be increased to 20%.
The levy and front-of-pack warning labels serve different but complementary purposes. While warning labels provide consumers with information about the nutritional content of products, the levy uses taxation to discourage excessive consumption of sugary drinks.
HEALA chief executive Nzama Mbalati said government had a responsibility to prioritise public health when developing policies that affect consumers and the food industry.
“Public health is not commercial health. Government has a responsibility to protect the public interest, including regulating powerful commercial sectors. Industry participation in policy-making is legitimate, but it must not become a mechanism through which essential health protections are delayed indefinitely,” he said.
Concerns over delays
HEALA has raised concerns about the prolonged process of finalising Regulation R3337, including discussions at the National Economic Development and Labour Council (Nedlac).
The organisation acknowledges that consultation between government, business, labour and community representatives can help identify practical challenges and assess the economic implications of proposed regulations.
However, it argues that the consultation process should not result in indefinite delays.
HEALA wants greater transparency and public accountability regarding the reasons the regulations remain unfinalised, including whether the delays relate to technical concerns, implementation challenges, competing priorities or a combination of factors.
Health crisis carries economic costs
The organisation says the prevention of non-communicable diseases, including obesity, diabetes, hypertension and cardiovascular disease, should be treated as an investment in South Africa’s long-term economic and social wellbeing.
These conditions can place financial pressure on households, affect productivity and increase demand on the public healthcare system.
According to HEALA, the Department of Health reported more than 44 million screenings each for high blood pressure and elevated blood glucose during the 2024/25 financial year.
While government continues to invest in screening and treating these conditions, the organisation argues that greater emphasis should also be placed on preventing them.
Mbalati said resources spent treating preventable diseases could otherwise support other public services and development priorities.
“Every rand spent treating preventable disease is a rand that could otherwise support stronger health services, education, infrastructure and social development. Prevention is fiscally responsible. Health is not separate from the economy: healthy people are more productive, healthier children are better positioned to learn, and healthier households are better able to withstand economic shocks,” he said.
Constitutional rights and the cost of living
HEALA’s appeal comes amid persistent poverty, inequality and pressure on household budgets, with the organisation calling for a coordinated approach to food and health policy.
Section 27 of the Constitution recognises everyone’s right of access to healthcare services and requires the state to take reasonable legislative and other measures, within available resources, towards progressively realising this right. Section 27 also recognises the right to sufficient food and water.
HEALA argues that finalising food-labelling regulations and strengthening prevention measures would contribute to creating a healthier food environment.
December deadline approaches
With its proposed 10 December deadline approaching, HEALA is urging National Treasury and the Department of Health to demonstrate concrete progress on Regulation R3337 and ensure that the Health Promotion Levy remains on the government’s public-health agenda.
The organisation maintains that economic considerations should be taken into account when developing policy, but should not overshadow public-health objectives and the state’s constitutional responsibilities.
Through its Front of Package Labelling 90 campaign, HEALA is calling for the regulations to be approved by the December deadline and for meaningful action to strengthen the levy.
The organisation says South Africans should not have to wait indefinitely for measures intended to help them make informed food choices and reduce the risk of preventable diseases.
