To promote fair trade and protect South African citizens’ health and safety, the South African government regulates certain items for import and export. These regulations can take the form of prohibitions or restrictions, depending on the nature of the product. Some products may also be regulated for import purposes, but not for export purposes (or vice versa).
Each country has different requirements regarding what they classify as regulated, restricted, or prohibited goods for import and export trade. For example, some countries might allow prescription medication or animal skin trade, while others do not.
Prohibited goods
According to customs,prohibited goods are goods that are not allowed to cross the border either out of or into the country. Attempting to import or export prohibited goods can lead to serious fines and even criminal charges.
Examples of prohibited goods for import include:
- Narcotics and habit-forming drugs
- Poisons and toxic substances
- Certain types of firearms, military weapons
- Certain types of explosives and fireworks
- Cigarettes (over a specific mass)
- Counterfeit goods
- Illegal reproductions of copyrighted works
- Goods manufactured in prisons
- Second-hand clothing
Note: If a good is prohibited, that prohibition applies regardless of how it is brought into or taken out of the country. Whether a trader carries the goods in their hand luggage, or packages and transports them via sea, road, rail, air, or post, it remains illegal.
Restricted goods
Regulated (restricted) goods are goods that are controlled by an import or export permit. These permits regulate either the quality or quantity of the goods. Quality permit restrictions are controlled by government departments such as the Department of Health, the Department of Agriculture, or the Department of Environmental Affairs for example. Volume (quantity) permits are usually controlled by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) or the International Trade Administration Commission (ITAC).
To protect South African citizens’ health, livestock, animal hair, and honey imports require a phytosanitary certificate. Gambling equipment imports are regulated to protect social health, and used goods not manufactured in South Africa are regulated for import to protect local industries.
Second-hand goods:To import second-hand or used goods (including refurbished goods), the importer must apply for an import permit. The only exception to this rule is if the importer can prove that the goods are genuinely personal effects (for example, personal household possessions brought into the country when immigrating).
For imports, some products need to be sampled and tested before the import permit is issued. An example of this is when the South African Bureau of Standards (SABS) is required to test a product for safety. The permit may only be issued once the SABS accepts the product as safe.
You can look up prohibited or regulated items in our lookup guides below. Our office can obtain most permits for you.
