Nomcebo Dlamini, an active public health advocate, champions policy reforms to combat alcohol harm and empower communities across South Africa. For Dlamini, advocacy goes beyond simple awareness raising; it aims to influence the systems and policies that can protect communities from harm.
At 53 years old, Dlamini serves as the Campaign Director at the South African Alcohol Policy Alliance (SAAPA-SA). In this role, she leads the national 'True Cost of Alcohol' campaign, which promotes evidence-based methods for reducing alcohol-related harm. Her work encompasses psychoactive substance consumption policy, public health defense, and government engagement, with a particular focus on protecting women, children, and youth.
Dlamini emphasizes that policy must prioritize human protection over profit, and advocacy must ensure that scientific data, community experience, and human dignity remain central to decision-making. In her view, one of the main challenges remains the insufficient understanding of the scale of harm caused by alcohol. She asserts that alcohol is a major public health issue in South Africa due to a lack of awareness regarding the substance's real impact on local communities.
Alcohol is classified as a Group 1 carcinogen, meaning there is sufficient evidence of its ability to cause cancer. Dlamini notes that many South Africans do not fully grasp this risk, often comparing alcohol to tobacco and asbestos. Furthermore, she points to the economic costs associated with alcohol-related harm, noting that between 10% and 12% of South Africa's GDP is spent addressing the consequences of this issue.
Alcohol harm also negatively affects households and communities through gender-based violence. Dlamini states that alcohol effectively contributes to nearly every case of gender-based violence in the country, adding that the drinker can be the aggressor, the victim, or both.
She expresses pride in creating the 'True Cost of Alcohol' campaign as a national movement that unites researchers, healthcare workers, civil society organizations, traditional leaders, youth, and local communities. Instead of placing the burden of alcohol harm solely on individuals, the campaign focuses on the policies and systems that affect the availability, cost, and marketing of alcohol.
Dlamini's approach to advocacy was shaped after her appointment to the Parliamentary Narcotic Control Agency, where she was later elected Deputy Chairperson. This position allowed her to oversee the implementation of South Africa's National Drug Control Plan and interact directly with the government on psychoactive substance consumption policies. This experience solidified her belief that data alone is insufficient—effective advocacy is necessary to translate research into real action.
This experience ultimately led her to become the Campaign Director at SAAPA-SA, where she works to promote evidence-based alcohol policy and strengthen prevention measures. One of her biggest professional challenges is uniting diverse sectors. She believes that solving the problem of alcohol harm requires collaboration among health, social development, education, law enforcement, local government, and many other stakeholders. Despite difficulties posed by competing interests, including commercial influence, she insists that significant policy changes require persistence.
Her resolve was formed long before beginning her advocacy career. Born on June 10, 1973, Dlamini grew up in Eswatini to a Swazi father and Hhohosa mother. Although the family lived in Eswatini, she and her siblings spent almost all school holidays with extended family in Soweto, particularly Orlando East and Zola. Her mother's family had a strong history of political activism, and the family's move to Eswatini was partly influenced by the political reality of apartheid in South Africa. Life between Eswatini and South Africa exposed Dlamini to diverse cultures and gave her an early insight into inequality, justice, and the importance of ordinary people fighting for change.
As the youngest child in a large extended family, her father passed away when she was six, and her mother raised the family with strength, faith, and compassion. Her mother taught her that every person has a voice worth hearing and encouraged her to speak up, even if her views differed from others. One lesson stuck with Dlamini: people might disagree with her, provided she stood on the right side. This belief became the foundation of her advocacy work. Her mother inspired her to view advocacy not as confrontation, but as a duty to stand alongside those whose voices are often ignored.
Although her academic background is in law, Dlamini realized that many of society's greatest injustices are rooted not only in legislation but also in state policy. She believes that public health advocacy allows her to address structural factors that put vulnerable communities at risk. Her work includes strengthening the implementation of the WHO SAFER Initiative in line with South Africa's National Drug Control Plan and promoting community-level prevention.
Advocacy is complex work, and Dlamini knows that change rarely happens quickly. Her faith helps her maintain resilience. Many of her struggles begin with prayer walks, and she draws strength from her family, friends, and colleagues. Above all, she says that it is the communities affected by alcohol harm that motivate her to continue the fight until healthier and safer communities become a reality.
In connection with South African Women's Month, Dlamini views this period as a celebration of women's achievements and a reminder of the role women play in the fight against injustice. She cites women who marched against pass laws as an example of the power of collective advocacy and believes the same spirit is needed today. For Dlamini, Women's Month is a call for women to continue shaping policies that protect future generations and ensuring that those living with the consequences of these policies have a voice in decisions affecting their lives.
