Government

New guidelines for shelf prices, product labels and receipts at all retailers in South Africa

Staff Writer

 ·18 Sep 2026

The National Consumer Commission has gazetted draft guidelines on the description and record-keeping of sales in South Africa, specifically targeted at more informal traders.

The guidelines have been published for public comment, with stakeholders having 45 days to make submissions.

The draft document is a practical write-up of the legal complexities contained in South Africa’s Consumer Protection Act (CPA).

They will inform suppliers, importers, manufacturers, distributors, retailers, and service providers of what they need to do to ensure that product and service descriptors comply with the law.

They will also serve as a practical guide for consumers to know what they are expected to see from providers.

According to the NCC, the guidelines were drafted after it conducted countrywide monitoring inspections between July 2024 and March 2026 and identified widespread non-compliance with the CPA.

This was particularly among spaza shops and other small retail businesses.

“During these inspections, suppliers were found to be in contravention of Sections 22, 23, 24, 26, and 29 of the CPA that prescribe important requirements relating to the disclosure of information to consumers,” it said.

This includes trade descriptions, product labelling, price disclosure, marketing practices, and the issuance of sales records.

Broadly, these sections cover:

• Plain language descriptions of items or services
• Accurate price displays that line up at the shelf and point of sale
• Country of origin information and other details
• Giving consumers a written record of a sale
• Not misleading consumers with marketing

The NCC’s inspections found that most of the suppliers inspected failed to comply with the law.

The suppliers “failed to disclose prices of goods offered for sale, failed to issue sales records to consumers or issued sales records that did not contain the information prescribed by the CPA,” it said.

The products for sale were without labels and product descriptions, thereby limiting consumers’ ability to exercise their right to choose and make informed purchasing decisions prior to concluding transactions.

The commission said the new guidelines will clarify the obligations imposed on suppliers.

Importantly, the NCC said that the guidelines do not supplant or replace the law as written in the CPA, which supersedes the text of the guide.

“The guidelines are not binding on the NCC, the National Consumer Tribunal or the Courts, but any person interpreting or applying the Act must take the guidelines into account,” the NCC said.

“The guidelines thus present the general methodology that the NCC will follow in assessing [the relevant sections of the] CPA.”

The commission said it will still use its discretion and consider other relevant factors on a case-by-case basis.

Key guidelines on descriptions

A product description must, where applicable, include:

• The product name;
• Quantity, size, weight, or volume;
• Composition or material content;
• Country of origin; model or identification number;
• Expiry or best-before dates;
• Care or storage instructions; and
• Any other prescribed information.

Key guidelines on pricing

Displayed prices must be in South African Rand, be clearly visible and legible and include VAT and mandatory charges.

Prices must correspond with the amount charged at the point of sale or till point.

A supplier may not charge a consumer a price higher than the displayed price except where the displayed price contains an inadvertent and obvious error or the price has lawfully changed before completion of the transaction.

Hidden charges and undisclosed fees are not allowed.

Before payment is completed, suppliers, both online and physical, must disclose all additional charges, including fees, booking fees, service charges, and administration fees.

Key guidelines on receipts

A supplier must issue a sales record for every transaction concluded with a consumer.

A sales record must contain the supplier’s full name, or registered business name, and VAT registration number, among many other requirements.

The full draft guideline can be read below: