Unable to purchase a loaf of bread and relying on money from her parents to support her basic needs, Eileen* has resorted to the illicit trade of cigarettes as a means of survival.
Making use of her scooter, she travels around Johannesburg delivering cigarettes to a small circle of clients.
Considered a crime under coronavirus restrictions, Eileen's new source of income does not come without its burdens. Restaurant manager Phillip* finds himself in a similar position. Phillip has been purchasing cartons of cigarettes and getting people to sell them on the streets of Soweto. He says he can earn R1,200 for each carton sold.
The Fair Trade Independent Tobacco Association is currently in court with the government over the ban. It argues that the ban is detrimental to the country. "What we saw as a result of the ban is that people were moving around, due to the addictive nature of nicotine, to source cigarettes that were now available in the illicit market," said the association's chairperson Sinen Mnguni.
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