Furniture — Phase 1
Furniture Import Compliance & PVoC Requirements
Phase 1 goods from Mainland China require a Certificate of Conformity (CoC) issued by an accredited inspection body before they ship. From 20 September 2026, SARS Customs and the Border Management Authority (BMA) will refuse clearance for any Phase 1 shipment without a valid CoC.
Phase 1 Scope
What Furniture Products Are in Scope
Phase 1 covers furniture products imported from Mainland China, including: office chairs and seating, mattresses and bed bases, upholstered furniture (sofas, couches, armchairs), children's furniture (cots, high chairs, bunk beds), and storage furniture (wardrobes, shelving units). The applicable SANS codes are SANS 1783 (office chairs) and SANS 1093 (mattresses).
Important disambiguation: This page covers the import Certificate of Conformity (PVoC) for furniture from China. This is completely different from the electrical Certificate of Compliance (COC) required for property transfers. See the disambiguation article if you are unsure which document you need.
SANS Reference
Applicable SANS Standards
The primary SANS codes for furniture are SANS 1783 (office chairs — covers structural integrity, stability, and durability requirements) and SANS 1093 (mattresses — covers fire resistance, dimensional stability, and material safety). For the authoritative SANS code reference, visit sansstandards.co.za.
Structural Comparison
With CoC vs Without CoC
| Attribute | Without CoC | With CoC (Registered on Vault) |
|---|---|---|
| CoC Status | No CoC — goods held at port | Valid CoC — goods cleared |
| Port Delay | R3,000–R8,000/day demurrage | No delay — SAD500 clears |
| Penalty Risk | Potential 15% CIF surcharge (East African precedent) | No penalty |
| Document Retention | Non-compliant — Customs Act §101 not satisfied | 5-year encrypted retention |
| Verification Method | Paper-based, manual, slow | QR code scan — verified in seconds |
| Clearing Agent Workflow | SAD500 rejected — goods held | Verification URL in SAD500 — cleared |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common Questions
Does my office chair shipment need a CoC?
Yes. Office chairs imported from China are in scope for Phase 1 PVoC. The applicable standard is SANS 1783. Your inspection body (CCIC, SGS, Intertek, or Bureau Veritas) must verify the chairs against this standard before they ship from China.
What about flat-pack furniture?
Yes. Flat-pack furniture (such as wardrobes, shelving, and storage units) imported from China is in scope if it falls within the regulated product categories. Confirm with your inspection body which SANS codes apply to your specific product.
Is the furniture CoC the same as the electrical Certificate of Compliance?
No. The import Certificate of Conformity (PVoC) is a per-shipment document for goods from China. The electrical Certificate of Compliance is a property-based document issued by a registered electrician in South Africa. They are completely different documents.
My furniture supplier already has ISO 9001 — does that replace the CoC?
No. ISO 9001 is a quality management system certification. It does not replace the PVoC CoC. The inspection body will review your supplier's quality certifications as supporting evidence, but the CoC must still be issued for each shipment.
Minting Fee Worked Example
What Does a Furniture CoC Cost to Register?
The CoC Vault minting fee is tiered based on the declared CIF value of the shipment. For a typical commercial furniture shipment from China:
| Shipment CIF Value | Tier | Minting Fee |
|---|---|---|
| R350,000 (small office chair order) | 2% tier | R7,000 |
| R800,000 (medium office fitout) | 2% tier | R16,000 |
| R1,500,000 (large fitout / mattress order) | 1% tier | R15,000 |
| R4,000,000 (bulk furniture import) | 1% tier | R40,000 |
CIF tiers: ≤R1M = 2%, R1M–R10M = 1%, R10M–R100M = 0.5%. The R1,997 onboarding fee is a one-time payment per importer entity — not per shipment.
Common Inspection Failures
Furniture Inspection Pitfalls to Avoid
Mixed shipment without separate CoCs
A container with both office chairs (SANS 1783) and mattresses (SANS 1093) requires separate CoCs for each product category. One CoC cannot cover multiple SANS standards.
Flat-pack furniture not tested assembled
SANS 1783 structural integrity tests must be conducted on assembled furniture, not flat-pack components. The inspection body must assemble and test a sample unit.
Upholstery flammability not tested
Upholstered furniture must be tested for flammability. This is a common failure point for sofas and chairs imported from China, where flammability standards differ from SA requirements.
Labelling in Chinese only
SANS labelling requirements specify that furniture must be labelled in English and Afrikaans. Chinese-only labelling will prevent the CoC from being issued.
Continue Learning
The PVoC Programme
Full regulatory context for the SABS PVoC programme.
Phase 1 Sectors Hub
All five Phase 1 sectors with SANS codes and inspection guidance.
CoC vs Certificate of Compliance
The disambiguation article — two documents, same abbreviation.
How to Brief Your Chinese Supplier
Practical guide to managing the supplier relationship during PVoC implementation.
sansstandards.co.za
The South African National Standards catalogue.
Register Your Furniture Import Entity
R1,997 one-time onboarding. Each CoC registration takes minutes. Have your vault active before 20 September 2026.
Verify with official sources: Government Gazette No. 54374 (20 March 2026). sansstandards.co.za for applicable SANS codes. This article reflects the regulatory position as at 30 April 2026 and should not be relied upon as legal advice.