If you buy fake goods, you put your family at risk, and you help crime win.
Fake Goods Can Be Dangerous
Every day, counterfeit and illicit products end up in South African homes. Many look real. Many are cheap. But most are toxic, unsafe, untested, and illegal. Buying them doesn't only harm you, but also your family, your community, and the country.
CHECKA DAAI DING!
The damage done by illicit and counterfeit goods
- Fake alcohol can cause poisoning, blindness, or death
- Counterfeit medicine can fail to treat illnesses, or make them worse
- Fake baby food and groceries may contain unsafe ingredients
- Illicit cigarettes fund criminal activity
- Fake clothing and cosmetics often cause allergic reactions and contain harmful chemicals
How to keep you and your family safe from harm:
Its not just about the barcode numbers. It's about TRUST.
You can scan any barcode with the MyCGCSA app and find out if the barcode is fake, stolen, or legitimate.
USE MYCGCSA TO CHECK THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION:
- Product name or description
- Manufacturer/ packer, importer, and country of origin
- Net weight or volume (in metric units)
- Batch/ lot number
- Manufacture/ packaging date
- Best before date
- Label must indicate if the product is genetically modified
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How barcodes work in SA: A crash course
Barcode formats and numbering are unique to their manufacturers or countries of origin. You may know that South Africa's prefix is 600, but every other country also has its own. If the product is imported, it will reflect this on the barcode.
Some companies have their own barcode formats, like Coca-Cola and Woolworths, and their barcodes can be scanned because they are registered with GS1 South Africa.
SCAN, VERIFY, REPORT!
If your barcode doesn't appear on the MyCGCSA app, REPORT it!