South Africa’s electrical and electronic goods market is flooded with counterfeit and non-compliant products that don’t meet local safety standards and regulations. Aside from illegal consumer electronics, knock-off circuit breakers, light switches, and other common electrical items are also prevalent. Andrew Dickson, an executive at CBI-electric engineering, explained that these counterfeit products are often made in countries like China and then sold as legitimate goods.
He noted that because these businesses producing counterfeit goods already have a presence in the market, their knock-offs are easily mistaken for genuine products. Due to the wide variety of products, detecting counterfeit shipments at customs is challenging as it requires specialized knowledge. Dickson stated that the situation presents a dilemma: either halt all imports, harming legitimate manufacturers, or allow the flood of counterfeit goods into the market. While these products are primarily sold in the informal sector, Dickson observed that they are increasingly finding their way into smaller hardware stores. He emphasized that trusted brands should comply with South African National Standards (SANS) and that manufacturers like himself are held accountable by retailers if their paperwork is not in order. Dickson also pointed out that the South African Bureau of Standards (SABS) is increasingly struggling to identify counterfeit products. Another area where South Africa faces a surge of fake and non-compliant equipment is wireless devices