1. Date: 2007-05-10 1 THIRD PARTY PRODUCT CERTIFICATION IN THE SADC REGION Presented by Maureen P Mutasa (Mrs) ISO Regional Liaison Officer Director General – Standards Association of Zimbabwe

2. Date: 2007-05-10 2 Presentation Overview Overview of product certification Status of product certification in the SADC region Challenges faced Benefits of third party product certification Conclusion

3. Date: 2007-05-10 3 Overview of Product Certification According to ISO/IEDC 17000 certification is defined as “Third party attestation related to products, processes, systems or person”

4. Date: 2007-05-10 4 Overview of Product Certification Involves the issue of a certificate or mark (or both) Mark is normally found on product or its packaging Mark carries a reference to the number or name of standard against which product is certified Third party product certification is most acceptable to purchasers, importers and regulatory authorities as an assurance for quality

5. Date: 2007-05-10 5 Status of 3 rd Party Product Certification in the SADC Region Madagascar

6. Date: 2007-05-10 6 Status of 3 rd Party Product Certification in the SADC Region Carried out mainly by National Standards Bodies 8 out 14 National Standards Bodies undertake product certification Congolese Control Office (OCC) Botswana Bureau of Standards (BOBS) Malawi Bureau of Standards (MBS) Mauritius Standards Bureau (MSB) Tanzania Bureau of Standards (TBS) South African Bureau of Standards (SABS) Zambian Bureau of Standards (ZABS) Standards Association of Zimbabwe (SAZ) The rest do not undertake any product certification activities

7. Date: 2007-05-10 7 Status of 3 rd Party Product Certification in the SADC Region Product certification schemes in existence for period carrying from 3 – 58 years SABS scheme the oldest OCC scheme the youngest

8. Date: 2007-05-10 8 Status of 3 rd Party Product Certification in the SADC Region Number of products certified vary from 1 – 600

9. Date: 2007-05-10 9 Status of 3 rd Party Product Certification in the SADC Region Certified products categories Building & construction materials * Food and beverages products Textiles & clothing Electrical appliances Protective equipment Rubber & plastic products Leather & leather products & footwear Chemicals, pharmaceuticals, paints etc. * The most common category of certified products

10. Date: 2007-05-10 10 Status of 3 rd Party Product Certification in the SADC Region Basis of schemes All schemes based on ISO/IEC Guides All schemes fall under System 5 According to ISO/IEC Guide 67 System 5 includes: Testing & assessment of quality system involved Surveillance of quality is conducted Samples of product may be taken from either the market or point of production or both

11. Date: 2007-05-10 11 Status of 3 rd Party Product Certification in the SADC Region Accreditation Only one out of 8 schemes accredited SABS scheme accredited by SANAS The rest are working towards accreditation Recognition of each other’s product marks is through bilateral arrangements in support of trade agreements

12. Date: 2007-05-10 12 Challenges Faced Lack of/inadequate testing facilities to cover product range and scopes of inspection/testing Poor recognition/acceptance of marks of conformity by trading partners Lack of awareness on the value of certification and significance of product certification marks Lack of/inadequate inspection skills Limited/lack of knowledge on applicable international guides

13. Date: 2007-05-10 13 Benefits of 3 rd Party Product Certification Extends the market to areas where product is unknown or needs support Can prevent our countries from being dumping ground for inferior quality products Reduces unnecessary importation of foreign goods An objective guidance for the consumer

14. Date: 2007-05-10 14Conclusion Product certification will become increasingly important Product certifiers in SADC region need to ensure: Credibility; Compatibility; and Transparency of their schemes by implementing international standards/guides We must all promote product certification as an enabler for developing countries to participate in the global market The proposal to establish a 5 th SQAM to deal with Conformity Assessment is support

15. Date: 2007-05-10 15 I thank you for your attention!