Africa Business Communities

South Africa and Online Counterfeiting

For many, the festive season is such an exciting time of the year – a time of giving, spending time with family and friends and possibly going on holiday. Many people see this time of the year as a time to enjoy, a time to reward themselves and their loved ones with gifts and special experiences. This all requires money that many South Africans don’t necessarily have. With the South African economy that narrowly avoided a recession by growing only 0,7% in the 3rd quarter of 20151 - many people have little money to spend on these festivities.

People are looking for ways to make their already small disposable income stretch further. With this comes bargain hunting and possibly dangerous buying decisions. People want to enjoy high value, high quality products but purchased at their convenience for less cost. This creates a ripe opportunity for criminals to take advantage of. Purchasing high quality products online, for a fraction of the price is often what people do – sometimes oblivious to the fact that they are not purchasing the authentic brand. For many, they may find it strange that they are purchasing a high value, high quality product at a fraction of the price, but may not question any further.

Even though these products may look authentic, if the price is too good to be true, it in most cases is. Many consumers should consider the real cost of purchasing these cheaper items before making the decision to buy it. Some products can be dangerous to the health and wellbeing of the consumer. Some recent reports have indicated that cosmetics packaged as reputable brands bought online were found to have traces of arsenic and lead in them2. In most cases, consumers would never intentionally purchase a product that could be dangerous to their own or their loved one’s health. In addition to this, almost products manufactured are at risk of being counterfeited. Consumers need to exercise caution when purchasing bargains or cheaper products.

Statistics South Africa

Counterfeit Makeup Products Containing Arsenic

 

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