Array ( [episodeID] => 417 [featureSeriesID] => 16 [featureSeasonID] => 1 [featureEpisodeID] => 5 [featureTitle] => CGCSA presents - Dr. Azar Jammine on South Africa's R68 billion illicit trade tax loss [featureDescription] => South Africa’s illicit economy is estimated to cost the fiscus R68 billion in tax revenue every year, with consequences far beyond lost taxes.\r\n\r\nDr. Azar Jammine, Director and Chief Economist at Econometrix, explains what this figure means for South Africa’s economy and what recovering even part of the lost revenue could achieve.\r\n\r\nJammine discusses the impact on government borrowing, infrastructure investment, public services, and economic growth. He also explains why illicit trade expanded sharply in recent years and argues that stronger enforcement across SARS, customs, border control, policing, and prosecution could recover a meaningful share of the losses.\r\n\r\nThe conversation also examines deindustrialisation, declining production, job losses, and why the true economic cost of illicit trade extends beyond the R68 billion tax gap.\r\n\r\n0:00 Intro\r\n1:04 What the R68 billion tax loss represents\r\n1:45 Putting the number into budget context\r\n3:42 Where recovered revenue could be spent\r\n6:48 How much could realistically be recovered?\r\n8:20 Strengthening enforcement and SARS\r\n10:38 The wider cost to economic growth\r\n\r\nFollow BusinessTech:\r\nX - https://twitter.com/businesstechSA\r\nFacebook - https://web.facebook.com/BusinessTechSA\r\nInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/businesstechsa\r\nWebsite - https://businesstech.co.za/news/\r\n\r\n#IllicitTrade #SouthAfrica #Economy [featureEpisode] => https://player.vimeo.com/video/1245341123 [featureDuration] => 12:36 min [featureImageMobile] => img/guests/ET-016-0031-005.jpg [featurePublication] => 2026-11-10 07:29:15 [featureLogo] => img/logos/SL161.png )