Substandard imports flooding the South African market are killing local business, the South African Bureau of Standards (SABS) said on Thursday.
Chief executive Bonakele Mehlomakulu said companies abiding by SABS requirements were unable to compete with untested and poor quality imports.
“When low quality products reach the shops, they are priced cheaply which means companies which stick to standards have to close down as a result.”
She was speaking at the opening of a new SABS testing facility in Pretoria.
Mehlomakulu said consumers needed to be aware of the dangers of buying substandard goods.
“Only when consumers know what is quality, [do] they start buying smartly,” she said.
“The new laboratories are a tremendous boost to our testing and product certification capabilities, which is exactly what we need to keep up with the needs of the economy,” she said.
President Jacob Zuma, who attended the opening, said local manufacturers needed to produce high quality goods to secure their share of the domestic market.
“Local manufacturers are now faced with competition in the domestic market, from cheaper goods produced in other countries,” he said.
Mehlomakulu said the new facilities would allow the SABS to service its customers more productively and effectively.
“Our R165-million investment in the new laboratories underlines our absolute commitment to being the trusted supplier of choice in the testing, verification and certification services.” — Sapa