In an exclusive story, IOL reported on Friday that some Gauteng residents have been living in fear after using what they believe are counterfeit condoms sold at spaza shops dotted across the province.

IOL has been conducting an investigation into the authenticity of numerous packs of Trust condoms.

In Sunnyside, some residents noticed conspicuous discrepancies on the packaging of the Trust condoms and panicked after realising that the quality seemed to be compromised on the other packaging.

The IOL investigation also ventured into the heavily populated Hillbrow, where the seemingly fake condoms are on sale from spaza shops, for R20.

During the IOL investigation, the suspicious packs of condoms were also picked up in places including Atteridgeville, Tembisa, Mamelodi, Joburg CBD, Pretoria central, and Soweto.

The clearly visible difference between the two is on the packaging of the box with three sealed condoms.

The ones bought from spaza shops were in a closed box which is not sealed at all. The unsealed boxes can be reused. Condoms of the same Trust brand bought at well-established shops are in tightly sealed boxes which can only be used once.

The other glaring difference is that some packs of the sky-blue studded Trust condoms are written “Compliant with WHO specifications”, with a label stating “studded” or “smooth” while the suspicious packs bought in spaza shops are written “World Health Organization compliant” with no label of the variety.

Armed with this information, IOL approached statutory body, the South African Bureau of Standards (SABS) which is the authority responsible for the promotion and maintenance of standardisation and quality in connection with commodities in the country.

The SABS said it does not regulate the importing of condoms into South Africa and the function falls in the ambit of the national Department of Health.

“Producing condoms in South Africa involves detailed process to ensure they meet safety, quality, and regulatory standards. Requirements for packaging of condoms are stated in ISO 4074:2015/SANS 4074:2017,” the SABS said in its written response to IOL.

On the glaring differences on the packaging, SABS stated that SANS4074 approved condom boxes will be written Compliant with WHO specifications, and they will be labelled “studded” or “smooth”.

“The counterfeit condoms will have World Health Organization compliant and will be dull and very fragile. This means that there is a SABS mark scheme [being] abused by producers of fake condoms."

Regarding the sealing of the individual boxes containing three condoms, SABS said ISO/SANS 4074 details sealing specifications for condom wraps but not for condom boxes.

“However, consumers must shy away from products that are defective or look like their quality has been compromised,” SABS responded.

Authentic condoms must comply with SANS 4074 and include specific labelling requirements, such as:

Type or texture (studded or smooth)
SABS certification mark (if certified)
Expiry date and batch number
Manufacturer’s details

SABS said lack of this information may indicate non-compliance.

Additionally, SABS has raised red flags on the boxes of condoms written “World Health Organization compliant”.

“This phrasing might be misleading, as the World Health Organization (WHO) does not directly certify products. Instead, the WHO provides technical specifications for condoms under the WHO/UNPA Prequalification Program for manufacturers to meet. ‘Compliant with WHO specifications’ - this is more precise and suggests adherence to specific WHO recommended standards. It indicates that the product likely underwent testing to meet WHO’s international safety and quality guidelines."

Regarding the dull packing on the condom boxes bought in spaza shops, SABS said ISO/SANS 4074 specifications allow for variation in colours - plain, red, yellow, purple etc, and design - smooth, studded etc.

“Nothing is stated about the brightness and glossiness of the package, nor the dullness,” said SABS.

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