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South AfricaThe label must be in at least one of the official languages of South Africa (this includes English). The label must include the following information:
For more information on labeling requirements, please see the “Foodstuffs, Cosmetics and Disinfectants Act of 1972: Regulations Relating to Labelling and Advertising of Foodstuffs” here: http://www.doh.gov.za/docs/regulations/2002/reg1055.html GM (Genetically Modified) Food Labeling: Regulations on labeling for genetically modified foods and foods containing genetically modified organisms can be found in the “Regulations Relating to the Labeling of Foodstuffs Obtained Through Certain Techniques of Genetic Modification” published in the Government Gazette No. 25908 (January 16, 2004). These rules require that a genetically modified (GM) food must be labeled as such if it differs significantly from the currently existing food/beverage in:
The definition of a genetically modified food includes:
For more information, please visit the Department of Health’s Food Control Directorate online at: http://www.doh.gov.za/department/dir_foodcontr-f.html.
There are various divisions within the South African government that enforce the Liquor Products Act of 1989, which concerns the import and export of liquor products. The Directorate of Plant Health Quality is the main regulator, while other aspects related to importation are handled by the Department of Trade and Industry (antidumping, security reasons, etc.) as well as the Department of Health (food safety). An Import Certificate serves as “preliminary approval” for importing specific liquor products (bulk or bottled). The application for this certificate must be accompanied by a sample consisting “of at least 750 ml of the product in question,” or in the case of a bottled import, “the sample must be submitted in the labeled container in which it will be sold…” This sample must be delivered to the office of the Liquor Products division, located at Quarantine Station outside Stellenbosch. A chemical analysis will be performed on the sample that is provided to the office of the Liquor Products division, unless the importer provides an acceptable Analysis Certificate issued by an official laboratory in the country of origin. In the case of bottled products, the label on the bottle will also be evaluated to ensure that it complies with the Liquor Products Act of 1989. In the case of a bulk product, the label will be assessed when the application for a Permission to Sell certificate is received. After receiving approval from this division, consignments of the product may begin to be imported. At least 48 hours notice must be given to the Quality Audit division every time a shipment (or “consignment”) of liquor will enter South Africa. Once it arrives, the Importer must present the Import Certificate and obtain a pass from Quality Audit. A Certificate of Removal is also necessary if planning to sell or distribute the imported products, and this must be obtained for every consignment that arrives in South Africa. The consignment will be unpacked under the supervision of an inspector from the Quality Audit division. The certificate must be accompanied by a min. 750 ml sample (drawn from the consignment by the inspector), as well as the necessary certificates of “origin, age, [and] composition/cultivar,” as mentioned in the Liquor Products Act. For products that arrive in bulk, a Certificate of Permission for blending of liquor imported in bulk and/or a Certificate for Permission to sell liquor imported in bulk after bottling may be necessary. In order to learn more about the requirements and steps that must be taken for these last two certificates, as well as to see the fees associated with all certificates mentioned above, please see pgs. 6 and 7 of the Import Manual for Participants of the Import Trade; this can be downloaded at http://www.nda.agric.za/docs/Plantquality/default.htm. Click on “Liquor Products” in the left column, and download the “Import Manual” listed on the right under “Procedures to Import Liquor Products.” For the most current tariffs and taxes applied to imported products for this country, please visit the Online Tariff Database provided by Tariffic at: http://www.tariffic.com/ITA/, and click on “On-The-Fly Tariffeed”. Please ensure you have a 10-digit HS classification code in order to obtain tariff information. Also see the Census Bureau’s Schedule B search function (http://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/schedules/b/index.html), which allows you to classify your product according to United States export codes. Simply click "Search" and enter the keyword (i.e. beer) that best describes your product.
Most of the information in this guide was obtained from direct contact with various governmental organizations and embassies, as well as online sources. The FAS Attaché reports at: http://www.fas.usda.gov/scriptsw/attacherep/default.asp served as the primary (online) sources used for this report.
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