11 APRIL 2025
The National Consumer Commission (NCC) has issued sixteen (16) Compliance Notices to various suppliers of non-compliant goods. Twelve (12) suppliers are based in Limpopo, while three of these suppliers are based in KwaZulu-Natal, and one Eastern Cape province.
The NCC initially conducted market monitoring inspections in October and November 2024 in various provinces. This was done to determine whether suppliers comply with the CPA. During these inspections, the NCC identified inconsistencies with labelling requirements, where suppliers failed to label the goods or display ingredients on the packaging properly. This was commonly found in products like eggs, meat, and repackaged products like rice.
Follow-up inspections were conducted this year. During the follow-up visits, the NCC discovered that little has changed. In these inspections, the NCC found inconsistencies with the provisions of the Consumer Protection Act (CPA) in that identified suppliers were still selling foodstuffs of inferior quality, prices of goods were not displayed, while other goods were not properly labelled.
In most cases, these suppliers failed to properly label goods as provided for in the CPA. Failure to label goods in accordance with the CPA contravenes section 24 (5) and (6). This section provides that:
- The producer or importer of any goods that have been prescribed in terms of subsection (4) must apply a trade description to those goods disclosing the country of origin of the goods, and any other prescribed information.
- Any person who produces, supplies, imports or packages any prescribed goods must display on, or in association with the packaging of those goods, a notice in the prescribed manner and form that discloses the presence of any genetically modified ingredients or components of those goods in accordance with applicable regulations”.
Failure to display prices of goods contravenes section 23 of the CPA. Section 23 of the CPA provides that “subject to subsection (4), a retailer must not display any goods for sale without displaying to the consumer a price in relation to those goods”.
In addition, common discrepancies also include the issue of sales records, where suppliers do not issue the sales record. This is in contravention of section 26(3), which specifies that mandatory information must be included in a written record of each transaction between supplier and consumer. The sales records ensure transparency and provide consumers with essential details about their purchases.
In addition to these non-compliances, some suppliers were found to be in contravention of section 55 of the CPA. Suppliers sold or offered to sell goods of inferior quality. These ranged from dented and leaking tins, rotten meat and vegetables. Section 55 gives consumers the right to receive goods that are of good quality, usable and durable for a period of time.
The suppliers were instructed to comply with the provisions of section 24 of the CPA by removing and destroying non-compliant goods. The suppliers are further required to desist from engaging in the conduct above.
The NCC Acting Commissioner, Mr Hardin Ratshisusu, said, “Product safety is at the heart of the CPA. Therefore, suppliers must comply with the CPA and its regulations.”
Ends
Issued by: National Consumer Commission (NCC)
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