BUSINESS AND TRAINING 11
Standards Into Africa
By
Rory Macnamara
Plumbing Africa spoke with Bongani Khanyile , Managing Director of the recently formed Africa Standards and Certifications ( ASC ) organisation .
The publication has always been committed to standards as this provides safety to the consumer and keeps non-compliant products and services at bay as much as possible . bring jobs and expertise , build local capacity , and forge connections that can help South African companies join regional and global value chains ,” he said .
Water and plumbing are symbiotic , and the standards are essential to ensure the health and safety of all people . So , it was exciting to learn that an organisation like ASC was formed to manage the concept of one product test , one inspection , and one certification for all products in Africa .
Bongani makes the point that South Africa has its own standards , as do most of the countries in Africa with few exceptions . “ The challenge of using multiple standards has many negatives and that is why an organisation like the African Organisation for Standardisation ( ARSO ) exists that seeks to try and harmonise the standards so that the product move within these countries , without any challenges and without having to meet different standards .
Likewise , once standards are different as is the case now , each require a different type of testing requirement which in turn requires a different type of certification to meet each standard and country . Our aim together with other quality infrastructure organisations is to contribute to the harmonisation of standard and harmonisation of conformity assessment requirements processes with the aim to benefit SA industries . Once the quality infrastructure regimes are harmonised or even recognition of different countries approvals is recognised , the One Standard , One Test and One Certification concept can be realised . This will go a long way in removing technical barriers to trade and reduce cost of doing business in Africa and subsequently benefit consumers , ultimately removing the paperwork required at each border as the standard is standardised . The Regulator can then recognise the work from each country and the process is seamless ,” he stated .
With all good intentions that AfCFTA brings , unscrupulous traders may find this a perfect opportunity for flooding the market with cheap and unsafe products . Both government authorities ( regulators ) and private sector ( conformity assessment ( CA ) organisations ), need to work together to develop and implement agile and effective conformity assessment models such as Pre-shipment and Pre-Export Inspection . The need for government authorities to work with private CA organisations and inspector and auditor training has become unavoidable in Africa .
“ The same idea these can all be harmonised as one is dealing with one standard , one set of standards and one certification .”
Bongani , SABS has been active in other countries , but to what extent and would they be in the forefront going forward ?
“ Certainly , SABS has been a leader due to past and present level of industrialisation , their knowledge in standardisation , conformity assessment and SA ’ s position in its technical infrastructure . Yes , they have been involved in assisting several countries . There is no
Bongani , this is how the Africa Continental Free Trade Agreement ( AfCFTA ) can become effective . South Africa is a signatory to this agreement . Is this a starting point ?
“ Certainly , the AfCFTA is one of the main players in the process . At last count we had fifty-four countries signed up and the others were in possession of the instruments to join . With this high acceptance one can see the benefits of Africa benefitting Africans . By example , if one takes the EU , we are simply achieving the same outcome .
“ Certainly , the AfCFTA aimed at eliminating tariffs on intra-Africa trade , making it easier for African businesses to trade within the continent and benefit from the growing African market and the world ’ s largest free trade area . To South Africa , AfCFTA will potentially
Mr Bongani Khanyile
© Plumbing Africa Mari Macnamara
August 2023 Volume 29 I Number 6 www . plumbingafrica . co . za