The hidden crisis: Alcohol's effect on South African youth
Empower the youth to make informed choices about alcohol consumption.
Image: Picture: Maurício Mascaro/Pexels
We often speak about the 'potential' of South Africa's youth, their innovation, creativity, and resilience. Yet, beneath the surface of motivational campaigns and youth empowerment slogans lies a crisis we've been avoiding for far too long: the normalisation of alcohol abuse among young people, and the deep, long-term consequences it carries.
Let's be honest — alcohol is a cultural cornerstone in South Africa. It's present at every celebration, every gathering, every so-called rite of passage. For many young South Africans, the introduction to alcohol comes far too early. It's not uncommon to see teenagers drinking openly at taverns, at school functions, or even within the home. And while this has become a social norm, the impact is far from benign.
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We like to frame alcohol use among youth as "just experimenting" or "blowing off steam." But the truth is that alcohol is stalling the progress of an entire generation. It's delaying academic achievement, distorting mental health, fueling gender-based violence, increasing the risk of HIV infections, and contributing to the unemployment crisis. It's not just a personal problem — it's a national one.
According to the South African Medical Research Council, the country has some of the highest rates of alcohol consumption per capita globally, and young people are among the most affected. Binge drinking among youth, particularly over weekends, is not the exception — it's the norm. This behaviour doesn't exist in a vacuum. It happens in under-resourced communities, where opportunities are already scarce and where alcohol often becomes a coping mechanism in the absence of proper support systems.
The link between alcohol and educational outcomes is undeniable. Students who engage in regular drinking are more likely to underperform academically, skip classes, drop out, and struggle with concentration and motivation. For those who do manage to finish school, the path to tertiary education or employment is often littered with missed opportunities, poor decisions made under the influence, or even criminal records related to alcohol-fueled incidents.
More disturbingly, alcohol is a silent accelerant for gender-based violence and sexual exploitation. Too many young girls have stories that start with a night out and end in trauma. In some communities, alcohol is used to lure or groom young girls, offering them a false sense of maturity and belonging while exposing them to predatory behaviour. We cannot speak about protecting our girls or ending GBV without addressing the role that alcohol plays in silencing and disempowering them.
However, we're not ready to discuss it. Why? Because alcohol is too deeply woven into the social fabric. Because entire industries profit from youth consumption. Because adults model the same harmful behaviours. And because, frankly, we'd rather shame the outcomes than address the causes.Telling young people to 'just say no' is not only ineffective, but also insulting. Especially when we've done nothing to change the environments that glorify drinking, or to provide meaningful alternatives.
Youth centres are underfunded, safe social spaces are few, and mental health support is either inaccessible or non-existent in many areas. The conversation we need to have is not just about individual discipline or responsibility — it's about the ecosystem we've built. Why is alcohol so accessible to minors? Why are taverns placed so close to schools? Why do our music videos and social influencers consistently glamorise alcohol as a marker of success? Why are weekend parties seen as more valuable than weekend tutoring or mentorship programs?
We need a societal shift — one that doesn't blame youth for falling into traps that were laid for them long before they were old enough to make informed choices. This shift means stricter regulation of alcohol advertising, especially those that target the youth through music, social media, and events. It means better enforcement of the laws that prohibit selling alcohol to minors. It means parents, teachers, and community leaders taking an honest look at how their drinking habits are shaping the next generation. And most importantly, it means providing young people with viable alternatives, spaces where they can thrive, be creative, feel seen, and receive support. Young South Africans are doing incredible things despite these challenges — starting businesses, excelling in academics, and organising in their communities.
But they're often doing so in environments where drinking is not just allowed, but encouraged. That's a heavy load to carry. We need to stop pretending alcohol is harmless fun. It's delaying the very youth we keep saying are the future. And if we don't confront this now, we're going to keep asking the same tired questions ten years from now: 'Why aren't young people rising?' 'Where is the youth leadership?' 'Why is our country stuck?'
The truth is: we're stuck because we've chosen comfort over accountability. Culture over confrontation. And silence over solutions. It's time to change that.
* Mayalo is an independent writer and analyst
**The views expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of IOL or Independent Media.
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