WeeklySA_AdminBUST: Thousands of allegedly non-compliant products — including electrical appliances, food, building materials and paraffin equipment — confiscated during surprise inspections in Ermelo and Bethal this week…
By WSAM Reporter
THOUSANDS of products valued at about R6 million have been confiscated during unannounced compliance raids in Ermelo and Bethal, Mpumalanga.
The National Regulator for Compulsory Specifications (NRCS) said the goods ranged from household electrical appliances and food products to building materials and automotive safety equipment.
Among the products removed from businesses were air fryers, fans, hairdryers, electric massage machines, paraffin stoves and heaters, butchery scales, safety footwear, toilet paper, plastic carrier bags and chemical disinfectants.
Canned and frozen fish products were also among the goods confiscated during the joint operation.
According to the regulator, the products were either incorrectly labelled, lacked the required certification and safety markings or failed to meet compulsory health and safety standards.
The raids formed part of an intensified national enforcement campaign aimed at curbing the distribution of illicit and non-compliant goods in South Africa.
The operation brought together the NRCS, the Mpumalanga Department of Economic Development, Environment and Tourism, the National Consumer Commission, the South African Police Service and the National Credit Regulator.
The NRCS said the goods were found to be in contravention of the National Regulator for Compulsory Specifications Act and the Legal Metrology Act.
It warned that non-compliant products could pose risks to consumers’ health and safety, as well as to the environment.
Electrical appliances without proper certification, for example, may expose consumers to electrical shocks, fires or other hazards. Incorrectly labelled food products and goods that fail health requirements could also place consumers at risk.
The regulator said the Mpumalanga crackdown followed similar joint inspections conducted in other provinces as part of its nationwide market-surveillance programme.
Its 2026/27 annual performance plan sets a target of conducting more than 15 joint inspections across the country and removing or securing the correction of illicit goods valued at more than R3.3 billion within a year.
The regulator said the campaign was intended not only to protect consumers but also to promote fair competition by preventing businesses selling unsafe or non-compliant goods from gaining an advantage over law-abiding traders.
It pledged to strengthen cooperation with law-enforcement agencies, border authorities and industry stakeholders as it intensifies efforts to prevent illicit products from entering or circulating in the domestic market.
“The NRCS remains steadfast in enhancing market surveillance, deepening collaboration with law enforcement and border authorities, and engaging proactively with industry stakeholders,” the regulator said.
Businesses have been urged to familiarise themselves with compulsory specifications and ensure that products placed on the market comply with South African safety, quality, packaging and labelling requirements.
Consumers were also encouraged to report products they suspect may be unsafe or non-compliant to the NRCS.
The regulator said intelligence-driven inspections would continue as part of its commitment to ensuring that only compliant goods reached South African consumers.
