The new directive applies to selected products imported from China that are not already regulated under compulsory National Regulator for Compulsory Specifications (NRCS) standards, including items such as electricity generators and solar panels.
Under the programme, importers will need to obtain a Certificate of Conformity (CoC) confirming that products comply with applicable South African National Standards (SANS) or recognised reference standards before entering the country. The programme is expected to take effect from September 2026.
While industry stakeholders have welcomed the intent behind the new rules, concerns remain around enforcement and implementation.
Wimpie Lyons and Connie Jonker, technical specialist and lighting specialist respectively at electrical safety organisation Safehouse, questioned whether the programme can succeed without stronger market surveillance and enforcement capacity.
Drawing on experience with the NRCS Letter of Authority (LOA) model, Jonker argued that product approvals currently rely too heavily on once-off testing without sufficient ongoing monitoring.
“The NRCS Act, which empowers the regulator to manage technical regulations and compulsory specifications to protect public health, safety and the environment and ensure fair trade, gives the regulator the power to name and shame non-compliant suppliers, and it needs to use it,” said Jonker.
“Repeated offenders should be identified and removed from the market. That is how it works globally, and it is the model we need here.”
The gazette itself acknowledges that the directive does not introduce new enforcement powers, instead relying on existing systems involving the South African Revenue Service (SARS) and Border Management Authority (BMA).
Under the programme, conformity assessments will be conducted through a cooperation arrangement between the South African Bureau of Standards (SABS) and the China Certification and Inspection Group (CCIC), while SABS will retain custodianship of the CoC scheme.
Lyons said the effectiveness of the system would ultimately depend on credible inspection and verification processes.
“The principle is sound, but the implementation concerns me. With Chinese labs subcontracted to issue CoCs, the paperwork will arrive with the goods, but fewer than 22% of containers entering South Africa are meaningfully inspected,” said Lyons.
“A CoC risks becoming just another stamp if there is no credible system to verify what is actually in each shipment.”
Local manufacturers say weak enforcement has created an uneven competitive environment, allowing non-compliant imported products to undercut locally produced goods.
CBi-electric: low voltage engineering executive Dr Andrew Dickson said substandard electrical imports posed broader safety and infrastructure risks.
“With China accounting for around 35% of non-compliant electrical imports into African markets, the scale of the problem is significant,” said Dickson.
“Once substandard goods are allowed in, it opens the door for even critical, life-saving products to be manufactured with poor-quality materials and sold to unsuspecting consumers. At best, they fail. At worst, they pose serious risks to infrastructure and human safety.”
He added that local manufacturers face lengthy and expensive compliance processes involving NRCS approvals, electromagnetic compatibility testing and additional certification requirements before products can reach the market.
“Local businesses are being undercut by products that don't meet the same standards,” said Dickson.
“Our manufacturers face a lengthy and expensive compliance journey before a product reaches the shelf, while some competitors avoid it altogether.”
Despite concerns around implementation, industry stakeholders say the programme could improve both consumer safety and market fairness if properly enforced.
“It signals clear intent from government and has the potential to improve adherence to product standards, ultimately helping to protect both infrastructure and lives,” Dickson said.
Lyons also supported the broader objective behind the programme.
“It’s a noble idea, if executed properly.”
