South Africans wanting to get involved in selling imported goods should be aware that there are many obstacles to overcome. Apart from the obvious (import licence, shipping agent, payment in foreign currency) hurdles, there are regulatory and compliance issues to be aware of.
Importing products that are classified as electronic or electrical fall under the “Electrotechnical” department of the NRCS (National Regulator for Compulsory Specifications).
There are other categories, such as Automotive, Chemicals, Foods and Associated Products, and Legal Metrology. All require conformance with the relevant standards. Currently, Advanced Technical Services only deals with Electrotechnical, but should there be a demand for the other categories, we may also offer those services.
The first and most important thing to be aware of is that you may not legally import these products without a Letter Of Authority (LOA), issued by the NRCS. Doing so could lead to your goods being impounded, and worse, having to pay a fine.
The first step to obtaining an LOA is to have your product tested by an accredited laboratory, to ensure that it complies with the relevant SANS standard. At Advanced Technical Services, we have obtained many LOAs – normally using testing laboratories in China that have done many of these tests before – but we also ensure that they do the testing in accordance with the South African and IEC specifications. This allows us to apply for the correct LOA with the correct paperwork, minimising expenses and delays.
So what are Compulsory Specifications?
Compulsory Specifications are technical regulations that require conformity of a product or service to health, safety, or environmental protection requirements of a standard, or specific provisions of a standard. The term is only used in South Africa. The standard must be a national (i.e. SANS) standard. In the absence of a suitable national standard, another type of standard or specification may be made mandatory.
Electrotechnical protects the safety and health of consumers and the environment, by enforcing compulsory specifications (VCs) in the electrical and electronic technology areas. The regulated products include household appliances, power tools, ICT equipment, audiovisual equipment, lighting products; and electrical components such as plugs, adaptors, and switches. Electrotechnical is an accredited inspection body and conducts its operations in accordance with the requirements of SANS/ISO/IEC 17020: Conformity assessment — Requirements for the operation of various types of bodies performing the inspection. The accreditation demonstrates the technical competency of its staff for the defined scope and the operation of an effective management system.
Enforcement of VCs is done at two stages: pre-market approvals; where regulated products are required to be approved by the regulator before they enter the South African market, and post-market inspections; where products within the regulatory scope are inspected at source i.e. manufacturers’ premises, ports of entry, and importers premises, and at retailers. Any non-compliant products found on the market are dealt with in accordance with the requirements of the NRCS Act, Act 5 of 2008, as amended.
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