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  "path": "/news/2026-04-17-more-than-half-the-cigarettes-sold-in-south-africa-are-illegal-new-research-shows/",
  "publishedAt": "2026-04-17T10:22:09.000Z",
  "site": "https://mg.co.za",
  "tags": [
    "National",
    "British American Tobacco South Africa",
    "Cigarette Market South Africa",
    "Cigarette Tax Evasion",
    "Covid-19",
    "illicit cigarettes South Africa",
    "illicit tobacco trade",
    "news",
    "Polaris Manufacturing",
    "REEP UCT",
    "Spaza Shops Cigarettes",
    "UCT Study Tobacco"
  ],
  "textContent": "Illicit cigarettes make up about 60% of South Africa’s market, according to research from the University of Cape Town, raising alarm over lost tax revenue and growing public health risks",
  "title": "More than half the cigarettes sold in South Africa are illegal, new research shows"
}