Integrity. Excellence. Accountability.


GS1 South Africa trading as the Consumer Goods Council of South Africa (CGCSA) is an industry association representing over 9 000 member companies in the Consumer Goods, Retail and Services sectors, which is one of the largest employers in South Africa. At the core of CGCSA's purpose is our vision to become the leading Consumer Goods industry platform for advocacy, collaboration and best practice in South Africa and across Africa.

Upcoming Events

Member benefits when joining CGCSA

We help members trade better and build sustainable business through;

  • Advocacy, lobbying, engagement and collaboration on non-competitive industry matters

  • Sharing best practice standards

  • Focused regulatory and advisory services

  • Providing access to our hub of valuable industry insights

  • Ensuring alignment with global Sustainable Development Goals and the National Development Plan

Articles

Setting the Record Straight on Barcodes - What do the first 3 digits mean?

07 November 2024

Recently, some messages have been circulating, claiming that any product without a barcode starting with "600" is fake or illegal. This is completely false and can confuse shoppers. Here’s the truth:

Products made or packaged in South Africa have barcodes starting with "600," thanks to GS1 South Africa. However, products from other countries will have different barcode numbers. Just because a barcode doesn’t start with "600" doesn’t mean the product is fake or illegal.






Open Letter: Sugar Value Chain Partners Calls for a Moratorium on Sugar Tax to Enable Economic Growth & Sustainability through Cohesive Policies

28 October 2024

Today we are united in calling on the Minister of Finance, Mr Enoch Godongwana to honour the commitment made publicly, in his 2023 budget announcing that consultations would be initiated with affected and interested parties as National Treasury considers adjustments to the Health Promotion Levy (HPL), including the proposed lowering of the 4g threshold...






CGCSA August newsletter

31 August 2024

Our August newsletter is upon us and we share it with you with great anticipation. In it, we've outlined some important updates, activities and programmes currently being implemented through our main divisions.






South Africa’s New Government Should Demonstrate Purposeful Leadership And Boldness To Grow The Economy

30 June 2024

The Consumer Goods Council of South Africa (CGCSA) says the announcement of a new cabinet by President Cyril Ramaphosa marks the start of a new, uncharted era for South Africa which at 30 years of democracy is at a crossroads, confronted by structural economic and social challenges, among them a low growth cycle, infrastructural inefficiencies, unreliable energy supplies, high unemployment, inequality and poverty. The new government...






Statement By The Consumer Goods Council Of South Africa On The Just Ended Elections

05 June 2024

The Consumer Goods Council of South Africa (CGCSA) welcomes the outcome of the recent general, provincial and regional elections as an expression of the democratic will of the people of South Africa. That the elections were held in a peaceful environment is testament to our maturing democracy which respects freedom of expression, choice and association. Given that






Consumer Goods Council Of South Africa Successfully Reviews And Sets Aside The Decision To Seize Meat Analogue Products

10 April 2024

The Johannesburg High Court has reviewed and set aside the decision to seize meat analogue products from retail outlets. The Consumer Goods Council of South Africa (CGCSA) was forced to urgently seek an interdict to stop the assignee the Food Safety Agency (FSA) from seizing meat analogue products from the shelves of retailers around the country, which it successfully did pending the outcome of the review of the decision.






CGCSA Annual Report 2023/2024

09 April 2024

We are ecstatic to share our 2023/2024 Annual Report, which showcases the highlights of the work that the CGCSA does and is a testament to our shared journey and the progress we have achieved for the period under review. The report for this year emphasizes our steadfast dedication to help our members trade better by spearheading digital transformation, promoting sustainable business solutions in both our sector and the communities that our members serve.






CGCSA Welcomes Regulations To Ease Recruitment Of Foreign Labour

05 April 2024

The Consumer Goods Council of South Africa (CGCSA) has welcomed planned new work visa rules to simplify the recruitment of foreign skills saying their effective implementation will support efforts to attract investment. Zinhle Tyikwe, CEO of CGCSA said replacing the critical list with a points system to recruit expatriates will hopefully ease the administrative and bureaucratic burden that multinational companies with businesses in South Africa have been facing to hire skilled staff.






GS1 South Africa Showcases The Verified By GS1 Registry Linked To An App For Enhanced Product Authentication In South Africa

05 March 2024

In today's digital landscape, accurate and complete product information is paramount for informed consumer decisions. Yet, the prevalence of inaccurate data sourced manually online often leads to dissatisfaction among consumers and costly returns for retailers.






CGCSA-Producer Responsibility Organisation (Pro) Registered To Coordinate Efforts By Members To Reduce The Impact Of Waste On The Environment

12 December 2023

GS1 South Africa t/a Consumer Goods Council of South Africa (CGCSA) has been registered as a Producer Responsibility Organisation (PRO) which will enable it to coordinate efforts by its manufacturing and retailer members to reduce the impact of waste on the environment and also comply with applicable Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) legislation.The PRO will operate.






CGCSA November Newsletter

30 November 2023

Welcome to yet another newsletter packed with news, updates, and information on our activities and initiatives aimed at enabling our members to continue trading even better.






Introducing Verified by GS1: Elevating Trust in Product Information for Retailers, Spaza Shops and Regulators

16 November 2023

Johannesburg, 16 November 2023 – In a first for South Africa, a new service, Verified by GS1, has been launched that will empower retailers, informal spaza shops and regulators with a reliable and verifiable source of product, company and location data. In a world driven by digital commerce, consumers, business partners, and government entities alike stand to benefit significantly from this innovative solution.






Tribute to Raymond Ackerman, founder of Pick n Pay

7 September 2023

In life, there are people who choose to take the road less travelled to build and leave a legacy that endures beyond their own generation. This aptly describes the legacy of Raymond Ackerman, the founder of retail giant Pick ‘n Pay, who sadly passed away on 7 September 2023 aged 92.






CGCSA August newsletter

31 August 2023

Our August newsletter is upon us and we share it with you with great anticipation. In it, we've outlined some important updates, activities and programmes currently being implemented through our main divisions.






CGCSA calls for swift end to the taxi strike in Western Cape

8 August 2023

The Consumer Goods Council of South Africa (CGCSA) has expressed concern about the impact of the taxi strike in the Western Cape on the retail sector and their customers and has urged SANTACO and the Western Cape government to find an amicable way to resolve the impasse. Zinhle Tyikwe, CGCSA CEO says while it is too early to provide the financial impact of the strike to its members, the lack of reliable transport and accompanying violence that has characterised the strike is unfortunate. Equally worrying has been reports of destruction of infrastructure and looting which CGCSA believes requires decisive action by law enforcement to prevent it escalating further.






Consumer Goods Council of South Africa (CGCSA) wins permanent inderdict against seizure of meat analogue meat products by the department of agriculture

23 July 2023

The Consumer Goods Council of South Africa (CGCSA) has successfully interdicted the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (the Department) and its assignee the Food Safety Agency (FSA) from seizing any meat analogue products presented for sale in South Africa, pending the outcome of the CGCSA’s application to review the decision to seize these products.






CGCSA co-chair Gareth Ackerman calls for urgent action to respond to climate change through sustainability initiatives

26 April 2023

Johannesburg, 26 April 2023 – The co-chair of the Consumer Goods Council of South Africa (CGCSA) Gareth Ackerman today called for urgent action to come up with sustainable interventions in response to the impact of climate change, saying there is something fundamentally and morally wrong in the way the fragile eco-system and the environment is being managed. Speaking at the launch of the CGCSA’s Sustainability and Climate Change Dialogue Series, Ackerman described the..