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I Was Told I Need a CoC for My Imports — What Does That Mean?
A Certificate of Conformity (CoC) is a document issued by an accredited inspection body in China — CCIC, SGS, Intertek, or Bureau Veritas — confirming that your goods meet South African safety standards before they leave China. From 20 September 2026, Phase 1 goods from Mainland China cannot clear SA Customs without one.
Your freight forwarder or clearing agent is telling you this because they need the CoC verification URL to include in the SAD500 customs declaration. Without it, your shipment will be held at the port.
What a CoC Actually Is
The Certificate of Conformity Explained
A Certificate of Conformity is a formal document issued by an accredited inspection body in China after they have inspected your goods and confirmed that they meet the applicable South African National Standards (SANS codes). The inspection happens in China, before the goods are loaded onto the vessel. The CoC is issued before the bill of lading.
The four inspection bodies designated by the SABS for the PVoC programme are: CCIC (China Certification & Inspection Group), SGS, Intertek, and Bureau Veritas. Your Chinese supplier engages one of these bodies to inspect the goods. The inspection body issues the CoC. You then upload the CoC PDF to cofc, which generates a SHA-256 hash and a permanent verification URL.
The verification URL is what your clearing agent needs. They include it in the SAD500 customs declaration. When the goods arrive at a South African port, SARS Customs and the Border Management Authority (BMA) verify the CoC by scanning the QR code on the SAD500, which resolves to the cofc verification page.
Why You Need One From September 2026
The Legal Basis for the CoC Requirement
The CoC requirement was introduced by the SABS Pre-Export Verification of Conformity (PVoC) programme, gazetted in Government Gazette No. 54374 on 20 March 2026 under the Standards Act 8 of 2008. The programme requires that Phase 1 goods from Mainland China be inspected and certified before export.
Phase 1 covers five product categories: solar PV products (panels, inverters, batteries), furniture (office chairs, mattresses, upholstered furniture), cosmetics and toiletries (skin care, hair products), children's toys, and electrical appliances (LED lighting, small appliances). If your goods fall into one of these categories and originate from Mainland China, you need a CoC from 20 September 2026.
The enforcement mechanism is the SAD500 customs declaration. From 20 September 2026, a SAD500 for Phase 1 goods from Mainland China submitted without a CoC verification URL will be rejected or flagged for inspection. The goods will be held at the port until the documentation is in order.
What Happens Without a CoC
The Cost of Non-Compliance
Under the Customs and Excise Act, SARS Customs has the authority to detain goods under Section 88(1)(a) for the purpose of establishing whether they are liable to forfeiture. Goods imported without a valid CoC are liable to forfeiture under Section 87(1). An administrative penalty under Section 91 may also be imposed — the amount is determined case-by-case.
While the goods are detained, demurrage charges accrue from the carrier. At Maersk OOG rates for Durban Container Terminal, demurrage runs ZAR 6,693 per container per day. A five-day hold on a single container costs over R33,000 in demurrage alone, before any customs penalties are assessed. The CoC registration cost (R1,997 onboarding + tiered minting fee) is a fraction of the cost of a single detention.
What You Need to Do Now
Four Steps to Get Your CoC in Order
- 01Engage an inspection body in China. Contact CCIC, SGS, Intertek, or Bureau Veritas and arrange for them to inspect your Phase 1 goods before they leave China. Your Chinese supplier can facilitate this.
- 02Receive the CoC PDF. Once the inspection body has inspected and certified your goods, they issue the Certificate of Conformity as a PDF document. This must be issued before the bill of lading.
- 03Register the CoC on cofc. Upload the CoC PDF to cofc. The platform computes a SHA-256 hash of the document and issues a permanent verification URL. This is the URL your clearing agent needs.
- 04Give the verification URL to your clearing agent. Your clearing agent includes the URL in the SAD500 customs declaration. SARS Customs and BMA verify the CoC by scanning the QR code on the SAD500.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common Questions From First-Time CoC Registrants
What is Phase 1?
Phase 1 covers five product categories from Mainland China: solar PV products (panels, inverters, batteries), furniture (office chairs, mattresses, upholstered furniture), cosmetics and toiletries (skin care, hair products), children's toys, and electrical appliances (LED lighting, small appliances). If your goods fall into one of these categories and originate from Mainland China, you need a CoC from 20 September 2026.
What if my goods are already on the water on 20 September 2026?
Goods that departed China before 20 September 2026 may be subject to transitional provisions. However, you should not rely on this — the safest approach is to have a CoC registered for every Phase 1 shipment regardless of departure date. Contact your clearing agent for guidance on shipments in transit at the enforcement date.
Does my clearing agent sort this out for me?
No. Your clearing agent handles the customs declaration (SAD500) and needs the CoC verification URL to include in that declaration. But you are responsible for obtaining the CoC from an inspection body in China and registering it on cofc. Your clearing agent cannot do this on your behalf — the CoC must be obtained before the goods leave China.
How much does it cost?
There are two costs: the inspection fee charged by the inspection body in China (CCIC, SGS, Intertek, or Bureau Veritas — varies by shipment value and product category), and the cofc registration fee (R1,997 one-time onboarding + a tiered minting fee of 0.5%–2% of the CIF value per shipment). The cofc registration provides the permanent verification URL your clearing agent needs for the SAD500.
Continue Learning
The PVoC Programme
Full regulatory context for the SABS PVoC programme.
Certificate of Conformity Guide
What a CoC is, what it contains, and how to register it.
CoC vs Certificate of Compliance
The import CoC is not the same as the electrical CoC for property.
Clearing Agent's Role in CoC Compliance
What your clearing agent needs from you.
What Is PVoC South Africa?
The SABS Pre-Export Verification of Conformity programme explained.
Start your CoC registration before the September deadline.
Register on cofc, upload your CoC PDF, and receive the permanent verification URL your clearing agent needs for the SAD500. R1,997 one-time onboarding, then a tiered minting fee per shipment.
Sources: Government Gazette No. 54374 (20 March 2026); Standards Act 8 of 2008; Customs and Excise Act 91 of 1964. Last verified: 3 May 2026. certificatesofconformity.co.za is an independent reference publication operated by LinkDaddy LLC, a Florida-registered US entity. Not affiliated with or endorsed by the SABS, NRCS, SARS, or any agency of the Government of South Africa.