{
  "id": 655832,
  "title": "Sibongile Simelane-Quntana leads fight against SA's gambling addiction",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/12/sibongile-simelane-quntana-leads-fight-against-sas-gambling-addiction",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-12T11:07:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "IOL",
    "slug": "iol",
    "url": "https://iol.co.za/mercury/news/2026-08-12-sibongile-simelane-quntana-leads-fight-against-sas-gambling-addiction/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Sibongile Simelane-Quntana, a 51-year-old leader at the South African Responsible Gambling Foundation (SARGF), is leading the fight against gambling addiction. Her personal experiences growing up in Vukuzakhe township and witnessing her father's alcoholism and brother's drug addiction have driven her to advocate for families affected by gambling harm. Simelane-Quntana emphasizes the importance of humility and understanding that circumstances can change, and people should be treated with dignity. She has taken on the role of mentoring young people and creating opportunities for them, even without prior experience. Her leadership has resulted in the creation of a social work wing within SARGF and the implementation of National Responsible Gambling Month. However, the rise of online betting poses new challenges, as it makes gambling more accessible and immediate while hiding associated harm. Simelane-Quntana emphasizes that gambling disorder is a recognized behavioral addiction and that her organization's treatment and counselling protocols need to incorporate data science, public health, and epidemiology. She also stresses the need for immediate 24/7 digital intervention when individuals request self-exclusion, rather than treating it as a standalone administrative process. Balancing the demands of her personal life as a woman, mother, and professional is another challenge Simelane-Quntana faces, but her family and colleagues provide the necessary support. Her motivation lies in her family and the work she does at SARGF, with Women's Month serving as a reminder that the struggle for women's rights is far from over.",
  "summary": "Discover how Sibongile Simelane-Quntana turned personal struggles into advocacy for families affected by gambling addiction.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "IOL",
        "title": "Sibongile Simelane-Quntana leads fight against SA's gambling addiction",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/11/sibongile-simelane-quntana-leads-fight-against-sas-gambling-addiction",
        "published": "2026-08-11T10:45:00.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}