Spirits tax set to hit R100 threshold in Budget

GOVERNMENT excise tax on spirits is poised to exceed the R100 per 750ml bottle level if Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana applies the customary above-inflation increase in duties during last night's Budget Speech.

- NICOLA MAWSON

TAX on 750ml bottles of booze could go over R100 a bottle. | Diageo

(Diageo)

In the May 2025 Budget, National Treasury raised excise duties on alcoholic beverages by 6.75%, continuing a pattern of annual increases that have steadily lifted the tax burden on drinkers.

The adjustment, which took effect from April 1, added to the cost of beer, wine and spirits, while traditional African beer was left unchanged.

For spirits producers, the trajectory of increases has become a focal point ahead of the 2026 Budget.