The dangers of counterfeit goods
Fake products, which are often of poor quality, pose risks to both your health and the economy.
Photo for illustration purposes. Picture: Reuters / Alex Grimm
South Africa’s counterfeit goods market is so huge that in the past six months, fake goods worth hundreds of millions of rands have been seized in various provinces by the police (Saps).
Just last week, border police confiscated R45.5 million worth of counterfeit goods in the Eastern Cape, following a tip-off.
A search by the police and South African Revenue Services (Sars) found branded sunglasses, Tommy Hilfiger belts, SwissGear backpacks, Gucci sling bags and branded watches, among other items.
In April, Gauteng police destroyed R500 million worth of counterfeit clothes and shoes taken during previous operations.
Nike shoes.
Authorities caution against buying fake goods. Not only do they impact local sectors by leading to unemployment in the long run through not paying tax and subverting the formal economy, they are sometimes of a substandard quality.
Goods such as counterfeit makeup, which is increasingly becoming more popular, also reportedly pose health risks.
According to Huda Beauty, counterfeit makeup manufacturers are able to make their products so cheaply because they skip important steps, such as testing the safety of their formulas.
Fenty Beauty.
In a 2017 investigative report by Refinery29, senior beauty editor Lexy Lebsack looked into the counterfeit makeup industry, following complaints from her colleagues and various beauty bloggers about allergic reactions and chemical burns from these products.
They are often produced in factories with the most appalling conditions and contain trace amounts of carcinogens and bacteria.
Major beauty corporations have even set up internal divisions aimed solely at working with authorities to combat counterfeit products.
Picture: iStock
How to spot fakes
• In addition to looking out for misspelled words on makeup packaging, one should note that brands such as Kylie Cosmetics and Fenty Beauty are not available in South Africa, nor do they have partnerships with accredited sellers. Fenty Beauty only recently made selected lip products available on Zando.
• Beauty Vlogger Mihlali Ndamase advises buying from accredited retailers as the only way to tell fake makeup packaging is if you’re familiar with what the original looks like.
• With sneakers, things like excessive glue stains around the sole, shoddy stitching and poor general workmanship are often a dead giveaway.
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