Back to home

Regulatory Compliance

Last updated: 20 May 2026

Best Tobacco Company, also referred to as "BTC", operates in a regulated industry. This page explains the compliance principles that guide our website, trade communication, product information, and business enquiries.

This page is provided for corporate and trade transparency. It is not legal advice, does not replace the applicable law, and should be reviewed by a South African attorney before publication.

1. Adult-Only Website Access

This website is intended for adults aged 18 and older. Because the website contains information relating to tobacco products and tobacco trade activity, visitors must confirm that they are of legal age before entering.

BTC does not knowingly communicate tobacco-related website content to minors and does not invite minors to submit enquiries or personal information.

2. Trade-Focused Purpose

This website is designed for lawful corporate, wholesale, retail, distribution, supplier, and business-to-business communication.

The website is not intended to:

  • sell tobacco products online;
  • create a consumer checkout or delivery channel;
  • market tobacco products to minors;
  • encourage tobacco consumption;
  • provide health advice;
  • bypass tobacco control laws; or
  • replace professional legal, customs, tax, excise, regulatory, or compliance advice.

3. No Online Tobacco Sales

BTC does not sell tobacco products through this website.

Submitting a trade enquiry does not create:

  • a sale;
  • a supply agreement;
  • a retailer account;
  • a distributor appointment;
  • an agency relationship;
  • credit approval;
  • product reservation; or
  • any legal right to receive tobacco products.

All trade relationships are subject to due diligence, lawful verification, internal approval, applicable regulatory requirements, and written commercial arrangements where required.

4. Tobacco Products Control

BTC recognises that tobacco products in South Africa are regulated under the Tobacco Products Control Act 83 of 1993 and related amendments and regulations.

BTC's website and trade communications should be understood in that context. In particular, BTC aims to keep its public-facing website aligned with principles relating to:

  • adult-only access;
  • responsible communication;
  • avoidance of youth-targeted messaging;
  • no online consumer sale of tobacco products;
  • appropriate health warning language;
  • trade and corporate communication rather than consumer promotion;
  • lawful packaging, labelling, and product presentation;
  • responsible product information; and
  • cooperation with lawful regulatory requirements.

5. Excise, Tax, Customs, and Licensing

Tobacco products are subject to excise, tax, customs, and licensing controls. SARS guidance confirms that tobacco products consumed within the Southern African Customs Union are subject to excise duty, and that relevant entities must be licensed with SARS Excise before manufacturing or otherwise dealing in tobacco products on which applicable excise duty has not yet been paid.

BTC's compliance approach should therefore include appropriate controls around:

  • manufacturing authorisations and licensing where applicable;
  • excise duty obligations;
  • customs and cross-border requirements;
  • lawful movement, storage, and distribution of tobacco products;
  • tax records and supporting documentation;
  • supplier and trade partner checks;
  • invoice and dispatch records;
  • anti-illicit-trade safeguards; and
  • cooperation with tax, customs, and enforcement authorities where legally required.

6. Packaging, Labelling, and Health Warnings

BTC products and product communications must be assessed against applicable packaging, labelling, health warning, and product presentation requirements in the relevant market.

Website imagery and product information are provided for corporate and trade context. They should not be treated as final regulatory approval of any specific packaging format, warning label, retail display, price point, market claim, or sales method.

Retailers, wholesalers, distributors, and partners remain responsible for ensuring that their own handling, storage, display, promotion, and sale of tobacco products comply with applicable law.

7. Responsible Marketing and Communications

BTC's website communications should remain factual, trade-focused, and responsible.

BTC should avoid:

  • youth-oriented messaging, imagery, or placement;
  • claims that tobacco products are safe;
  • health or lifestyle claims that could mislead consumers;
  • unlawful inducements or consumer promotions;
  • unauthorised use of third-party trade marks;
  • misleading product, price, margin, distribution, or compliance claims; and
  • any suggestion that website content overrides applicable law.

Where product or market information is displayed, it is subject to change and should be verified before commercial reliance.

8. Trade Partner Responsibilities

BTC expects retailers, wholesalers, distributors, agents, and trade partners to operate lawfully and responsibly.

Trade partners should maintain their own compliance controls, including:

  • lawful age-restricted retail practices;
  • no sales to minors;
  • responsible staff training;
  • proper storage and stock control;
  • accurate business, tax, and licensing records;
  • compliance with packaging, display, and health warning requirements;
  • anti-counterfeit and anti-illicit-trade measures;
  • lawful local advertising and promotion practices;
  • appropriate handling of personal information; and
  • prompt reporting of suspected illegal or counterfeit activity.

9. Anti-Illicit-Trade Position

BTC supports lawful trade and does not endorse illicit tobacco activity.

Illicit tobacco trade harms legitimate retailers, compliant manufacturers, tax collection, consumer trust, and market integrity. BTC may decline enquiries, refuse trade relationships, or escalate concerns where activity appears suspicious, unlawful, misleading, or inconsistent with responsible trade.

Examples of red flags may include:

  • incomplete or false business details;
  • refusal to provide lawful verification information;
  • suspiciously informal distribution requests;
  • requests that appear designed to avoid tax, excise, or licensing requirements;
  • suspected counterfeit activity;
  • unusual bulk requests with no credible trade basis; or
  • requests involving minors or unlawful retail channels.

10. Data Protection Compliance

BTC processes website and trade enquiry personal information in accordance with its Privacy Policy and applicable South African privacy law, including the Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013 where applicable.

BTC's privacy and information governance controls should include:

  • lawful purpose for collecting personal information;
  • limited collection of information necessary for trade enquiries;
  • appropriate security safeguards;
  • age-gate and cookie preference controls;
  • data subject access and correction processes;
  • Information Officer and PAIA processes where required;
  • service provider controls; and
  • appropriate handling of security incidents.

For more detail, read the Privacy Policy.

11. PAIA and Access to Information

Where required, BTC should maintain a PAIA Manual under the Promotion of Access to Information Act 2 of 2000, as amended.

The PAIA Manual should explain how eligible requesters can request access to records and should include the Information Officer details required by law.

Operational item to complete before publication: confirm BTC's Information Officer details and PAIA Manual status, then link the manual from this page and the Privacy Policy.

12. Website Compliance Controls

This website should maintain the following controls:

  • age gate before access to tobacco-related content;
  • clear health warning language;
  • trade-focused enquiry framing;
  • no online tobacco checkout;
  • no consumer tobacco delivery promise;
  • links to Terms and Conditions, Privacy Policy, and Regulatory Compliance;
  • cookie notice and preference handling;
  • responsible content review before publication;
  • correction of outdated or misleading information; and
  • legal review before major compliance claims are published.

13. Limitations of this Page

This page describes BTC's intended compliance posture. It does not list every legal duty that may apply to BTC, its trade partners, or its products.

Tobacco, tax, customs, privacy, consumer protection, advertising, employment, transport, health, safety, and local by-law requirements may apply depending on the activity, product, market, location, and role of the party involved.

BTC and its trade partners should obtain professional advice where required.

14. Reporting Compliance Concerns

If you identify a website error, suspected unlawful use of BTC branding, suspected counterfeit activity, privacy concern, or trade compliance issue, contact BTC through the details published on the Contact page.

Current trade contacts listed on the website:

  • Yaghya Chilwan: Yaghya@besttobaccocompany.co.za, +27 76 789 7989
  • Raaziq Poole: Raaziq@besttobaccocompany.co.za, +27 72 364 6172

Before publishing this page, BTC should confirm:

  • full registered legal entity name;
  • relevant SARS excise/licensing wording approved by counsel;
  • Information Officer details;
  • PAIA Manual link;
  • final health warning wording;
  • whether any additional tobacco regulations, municipal requirements, or market-specific rules must be referenced; and
  • whether any specific trade compliance contact should replace the sales contacts above.

15. Reference Framework

This page was drafted with reference to the following public regulatory sources:

  • Tobacco Products Control Act 83 of 1993: https://www.gov.za/documents/tobacco-products-control-act
  • SARS tobacco products excise guidance: https://www.sars.gov.za/customs-and-excise/excise/tobacco-products/
  • SARS excise guidance: https://www.sars.gov.za/customs-and-excise/excise/
  • Information Regulator POPIA resources: https://inforegulator.org.za/popia/