Safer But Unavailable: Why Are Nicotine Pouches And Vapes Out Of Reach For African Smokers?

In much of Africa, a smoker trying to quit has only one readily available option: quit cold turkey or die trying. The irony? Safer alternatives like nicotine pouches and vaping devices, which have helped millions quit smoking globally, are either banned, priced out of reach, or simply unavailable across the continent.

While Europe, the UK, and even parts of Asia have embraced tobacco harm reduction with open arms, African countries remain stuck in outdated, prohibition-style policies. Governments often lump reduced-risk products in with combustible tobacco, applying the same high taxes or outright bans without considering the health differences.

“Africa is still being treated like a cigarette market first and foremost, while harm reduction products are seen as optional extras,” says Joseph Magero, tobacco harm reduction advocate and Chair of the Campaign for Safer Alternatives. “This approach keeps millions locked into smoking with no way out.”

Industry Talk, But No Walk

Despite global tobacco companies declaring their commitment to a “smoke-free future,” many have been slow, or entirely absent, when it comes to making safer nicotine products available in African markets. While they aggressively promote heated tobacco, vapes, and pouches in the Global North, their investment in African access remains minimal.

According to industry reports, less than 5% of total investment in reduced-risk product infrastructure (including retail, distribution, and awareness campaigns) is allocated to Africa. Meanwhile, cigarette volumes continue to grow across the region.

“It’s hard to take ‘smoke-free’ pledges seriously when the continent with the fastest-growing smoking population is still flooded with combustible products,” says THR Nigeria Director, Dr. Olatunji Uche.

The Regulatory Wall

A key reason for the inaccessibility of nicotine products is the lack of regulatory clarity or outright hostility toward safer alternatives. In Ethiopia, Rwanda, and Uganda, e-cigarettes are banned. South Africa has proposed restrictive vaping laws that treat vapes identically to cigarettes, including advertising bans and severe penalties. Nigeria has no formal regulations, leaving vapes in legal limbo.

These approaches push products into informal markets, where quality control disappears, and government oversight is impossible. Worse still, these policies often follow advice from international donors and health groups that oppose harm reduction strategies for nicotine use.

THR products in Africa are almost entirely imported. With no local production facilities, countries must rely on international supply chains, which come with heavy import duties and taxes. This makes products like nicotine pouches or vapes prohibitively expensive for the average smoker.

For example, a single disposable vape in Kenya or Zambia can cost between $10–15 USD, which is the equivalent of several packs of cigarettes. Nicotine pouches, if available at all, are often double the price of cigarettes and rarely stocked outside major cities.

With limited cessation infrastructure, harm reduction products represent a low-cost, scalable tool for reducing tobacco-related deaths. But until policymakers and the private sector take concrete steps to improve accessibility and affordability, the continent remains excluded from global progress.

If Africa is to avoid a future public health disaster, safer nicotine alternatives must be part of the solution, not treated as part of the problem. It’s time to stop viewing harm reduction as a Western luxury. It’s a human right African smokers have been denied for too long.

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