What was withdrawn and when
South Africa's Government Notice 7947, published on 22 September 2026, withdraws the ministerial directive that introduced a pre-export verification of conformity (PVoC) programme for certain unregulated products imported from China. The original 20 March directive described a Certificate of Conformity as supporting documentation for products listed in its annex. The withdrawal takes effect on publication, 22 September.
The Gazette says no new applications under the withdrawn directive will be accepted and pending applications are closed. This removes that particular ministerial PVoC requirement; it is not a blanket repeal of South African product controls and does not automatically cancel separate compulsory specifications, customs rules, health and safety laws, or sector-specific permits.
Recheck the exact product and certificate basis
For a China purchase order, identify whether the supplier or agent was asking for a CoC specifically under the March PVoC directive or under another law, customer specification or voluntary programme. Compare the exact product with the old annex and the text of the withdrawal. Do not pay a new fee to obtain a document solely on the assumption that the withdrawn directive still applies.
If a shipment already has an application in progress, get written confirmation from the responsible authority or service provider that it was closed under the withdrawal. Update the broker's document checklist and retain both Gazette notices with the shipment. Where a product is subject to a separate compulsory specification or another regulator, continue to obtain the evidence that rule actually requires.
Avoid replacing one unsupported assumption with another
A buyer should not interpret withdrawal of this one directive as “no certificates are ever needed.” Before production approval, ask the South African importer or broker to identify the current legal basis for any test report, certificate, label or permit requested for the goods. Distinguish a legally required document from a buyer's quality-control condition and from a private service provider's commercial offering.
Update quotations and supplier instructions to show which documents are still required, who arranges them, and how the order changes if a separate rule applies. If the product's status is unclear, seek a written determination from the competent South African authority or qualified local adviser. This summary concerns only the withdrawn PVoC directive and is not legal advice.
Your next-order checklist
- Use 22 September 2026 as the withdrawal's publication and effective date.
- Check whether the requested CoC was based specifically on the March PVoC directive.
- Confirm closure in writing for any application already pending under that directive.
- Keep separate compulsory standards, customs, safety and sector permit checks in place.
- Update the RFQ and broker checklist with the legal basis for each remaining document.
Sources & reference dates
- South African Government Gazette — Withdrawal of pre-export verification directive, GoN 7947Source published: 2026-09-22Effective: 2026-09-22
- South African Government Gazette — Original pre-export verification directive, GoN 7284Source published: 2026-03-20
Prepared by the Yifeng Sourcing editorial team with AI assistance from the primary sources listed below. Source dates are recorded; destination-specific requirements should be reconfirmed before acting. This is not legal or tax advice.