Counterfeit Food Rampant in South African Townships

Competition between Pakistani and Bangladeshi businessmen in Johannesburg has uncovered a counterfeit food production centre in Swaneville, located west of Johannesburg. Behind Lodirile Secondary School, this facility produces fake products such as beans, cornflakes, spaghetti, noodles, cough syrup, soft drinks, milk, medication, and even recycled condoms as reported by IOL.

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Foreign nationals, upon arriving in South Africa, pay their Pakistani principals R25,000 to initiate asylum seekers’ documents, start-up stock, and protection from law enforcement. Tax Justice South Africa and the South African Revenue Service estimate that the illicit goods industry costs the country’s fiscal billions of rand, which could otherwise be allocated to education, health, and community development.

The production of counterfeit food and products has been a long-standing issue in the country. This has raised concerns about the lack of enforcement of laws regarding counterfeit goods and the prevalence of foreign-owned spaza shops selling these products in South African townships.

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Photo: Supplied