Warning when buying electric goods in South Africa

A large portion of South Africa’s electrical goods market comprises counterfeit goods that offer a cheaper alternative to the real thing but also create serious risks for those using them.

This is according to CBI-electric engineering executive Dr Andrew Dickson, who told Cape Talk that South Africa is seeing an influx of counterfeit electrical goods from the Middle East, Eastern Europe, and Asia.

These counterfeit goods include circuit breakers, light switches, and other common electrical items installed in one’s home.

When asked what was meant by counterfeit, Dickson said that the goods were ripoffs.

“Someone will take an existing product and go to somewhere like China and ask them to create a replica,” says Dickson.

“They will take the product and copy it to the nth degree, making it look like yours and bring it back into the market.”

Dickson points out that because many of these businesses seeking to manufacture counterfeit goods already have a presence in the market, the counterfeit goods are assumed to be legitimate.

He said that because of the variety of products, it is tough to detect a shipment of counterfeit goods at customs because of the knowledge required to identify what is legitimate and what is not.

“So then what happens is they either stop everything, which hurts the legitimate manufacturers, or they don’t stop anything, flooding the market with counterfeit goods,” said Dickson.

While the products are most commonly sold in the informal sector, Dickson said they are slowly making their way into smaller hardware stores.

“For the most part, the trusted brands should be in line with the South African National Standards (SANS),” Dickson says.

“As a manufacturer myself, we are brought to book by the retailer if we do not have our paperwork in place.”

However, while the South African Bureau of Standards may have traditionally been able to inform buyers that the product is legitimate, Dickson argued that the extent to which these goods are replicated makes this more difficult.

He points out that nothing of quality is cheap in the market, and “if it’s too good to be true, it probably is.”

SAPS cracking down on counterfeit goods

The South African Police Service (SAPS) has been cracking down on counterfeit tech in the country, including phones, phone accessories, and other electronics.

Since 25 October 2024, the SAPS has made three busts involving counterfeit goods and seized inventory valued at around R6.8 million.

The first bust led to the seizure of over R3 million in counterfeit goods in the Johannesburg CBD, SAPS said in a statement.

It added that two suspects, identified to be illegal foreign nationals, were arrested during the operation.

The operation occurred on Friday, 25 October, under a search and seizure warrant targeting shopping malls in Johannesburg CBD.

SAPS confiscated over 6,000 counterfeit products, including pharmaceuticals, clothing, and various watches.

In another raid on Friday, 8 November, the SAPS seized counterfeit goods, including cellphones, cellphone accessories, and other electronics, valued at more than R2 million.

SAPS executed the operation in Fordsburg and arrested 23 Pakistani nationals for contravening the Immigration Act, while another was arrested for dealing in counterfeit goods.

Police and other law-enforcement partners searched stores in a shopping mall on Terrace Road, Fordsburg, under a search and seizure warrant.

They confiscated over 8,000 counterfeit goods and other illicit electronic items flagged by the Independent Communication Authority of South Africa officials for non-compliance.

According to the SAPS, the National Counterfeit Goods Unit, Gauteng Provincial Counterfeit Goods Unit, and various other law-enforcement partners conducted both operations.

A third counterfeit goods operation occurred on Wednesday, 13 November, in Randburg, Johannesburg.

The raid was carried out by the Gauteng Visible Policing Team, which deals with counterfeit and illicit goods. They worked with brand protectors, and the operation led to the arrest of three suspects.

Police confiscated 896 counterfeit goods, including various watches and cellphone accessories, valued at just under R1.8 million.