South Africa is set to introduce plain packaging for cigarettes by 2015, according to Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi.
Although investigation has been continuing on the ban of Australia's tobacco branding by World Trade Organisation (WTO), the country intends to push cigarette manufacturing companies to sell them in plain packs.
Countries including New Zealand, France, India and Britain are planning to implement standardized measures on tobacco packaging.
Health Minister Motsoaledi was quoted by Reuters as saying that South Africa plans to start preparations for plain packaging.
"I want it as soon as possible but realistically and most probably it would be next year," added Motsoaledi.
Already, the country is said to have introduced bold health warnings on cigarette packaging.
In Australia, logo-free, drab dark brown plain cigarette packaging has been mandatory since December 2012.
Known as generic, standardized or homogeneous packaging, plain cigarette packaging requires the removal of colors, imagery, corporate logos as well as trademarks branding.
As part of this packaging, manufacturers will have to print only the brand name in a mandated size, font and place on the cigarette pack.
Besides, health warnings and any other information such as toxic constituents and tax-paid stamps, which is legally mandated, will also be featured on the packs.
