Access to African Markets

A significant portion of African markets apply pre-shipment conformity verification programmes: the product is assessed in the country of origin BEFORE loading, and a Certificate of Conformity (CoC) is issued. A shipment without a certificate is held at customs, penalized, or returned. Therefore, in these markets the certification timeline must be planned together with the shipment timeline.

• Foreign test reports are accepted and are the basic input to the process; a report from an accredited laboratory reduces the need for physical testing.
• The certificate is SHIPMENT-specific; a certificate obtained for one consignment does not cover the next.
• Obtaining product registration or a facility licence reduces the per-shipment inspection burden and cost.
• The inspection takes place in the exporting country, BEFORE the goods are loaded; there is as a rule no route to correction after shipment.
• The programme name, scope and exemptions differ by country; they are confirmed separately for the destination country.

• Programmes are based on assessment BEFORE shipment; applying after loading causes problems
• Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Nigeria and many other countries operate similar regimes
• Each country's scope list and accepted standards differ
• There are route options: shipment-based inspection, product registration, or licensing
• For regular shipments, the product registration or licence route is faster in the long run
• SONCAP for Nigeria is a separate programme and requires two documents

In these programmes, the application is mostly made by the exporter, but the process is coordinated with the importer: importer information, import permits, and customs declaration are recorded on the certificate. Under Nigeria's SONCAP, the importer must submit an application matching the product certificate.

• PVoC
• CoC
• SONCAP

1. 01Scope DeterminationIt is determined which legislation and marking scope the product falls under in the target market. This step defines the entire process; getting it wrong wastes all subsequent work.
2. 02Determining Applicable StandardsThe standards accepted by the market and any national deviations are identified. The same IEC standard may apply with different deviations in different markets.
3. 03Establishing the Test PlanIt is assessed which part of existing test reports will be accepted; missing tests are planned. A CB Scheme report, if available, reduces retesting.
4. 04Local Party and RegistrationIf the market requires an established representative, importer or applicant, this party is designated and the necessary registrations are made.
5. 05Tests and Technical FileTests are conducted and the technical file is prepared. Some markets require testing to be performed within their own country.
6. 06Certification or DeclarationDepending on the market's regime, a manufacturer's declaration is drawn up or a certificate is obtained from the authorised body; a factory audit is carried out if required.
7. 07Marking and LabellingThe mark and label are applied according to the market's format and language rules. The language requirement is checked at customs in most markets.
8. 08Shipment and CustomsIf a pre-shipment document is required, it is obtained; the document set to be presented at customs is completed.

• The Certificate of Conformity (CoC) is presented at customs
• Certificate information must match the invoice and bill of lading
• A physical inspection is carried out before shipment
• Labelling and packaging requirements vary by country
• There is a risk of penalty and return for shipments without a certificate

• Applying for the certificate after loading has taken place — causes additional cost and delay
• Not checking the target country's scope list
• Choosing the wrong route: using the inspection route every time for regular shipments
• Certificate information not matching invoice information
• Assuming every country's programme is the same