Market access

Africa — pre-shipment verification: what the market requires

Most African markets gate imports through a pre-shipment verification of conformity: a certificate issued in the country of origin, before the goods ship, without which the port will not clear them. The scheme names differ by country and so does the issuing body, but the mechanics are close enough that a supplier who understands one understands the others. This page sets out the three routes that cover our target markets.

The documents that govern the order

The national standards bodies

Who owns the standard and the scheme

Kenya runs its scheme through the Kenya Bureau of Standards, Nigeria through the Standards Organisation of Nigeria, and Ghana through the Ghana Standards Authority. Each is a separate body with its own scheme, its own list of regulated products and its own certificate. Tanzania and Uganda run the same PVoC model as Kenya under the East African Community structure.

The applicable standard, named on the certificate

What the goods are verified against

The certificate states the standard the goods were verified against, and that standard is national or a recognised international equivalent. For windows the practical point is that the performance case has to be expressible in the terms the scheme recognises, which is why the test report matters more than the brochure.

ISO/IEC 17025 accredited laboratory

Where the test evidence has to come from

Testing is carried out by an accredited laboratory, ISO/IEC 17025 or the national equivalent. A report from a laboratory the scheme does not recognise is the most common reason a shipment is held at the last moment.

Three routes, three bodies

Kenya — KEBS PVoC

The importer lodges an Import Declaration Form, and the Kenya Bureau of Standards passes it electronically to the verification body in the supplier country. That body issues an Inspection Request Form to the exporter, who returns it with the pro-forma invoice and any test reports. The body then arranges inspection and testing, and issues a Certificate of Conformity. The route is deliberately flexible: KEBS describes three methods of obtaining the certificate, chosen by how often the exporter ships and how well quality is maintained at the first application.

Nigeria — SONCAP

Since March 2013 the flow has been: product testing, then a product certificate (in an unregistered, registered or licensed form depending on the exporter status), then the Certificate of Conformity that the importer uses at the port. The exporter obtains the conformity certificate in the country of origin, and the importer uses it to obtain the SON document for clearance.

Ghana — GSA PVoC

The Ghana Standards Authority runs a pre-export verification programme covering other categories of goods, and a Certificate of Conformity issued by a GSA-accredited inspection body in the country of origin is what the port verifies. Note that the tightening Ghana announced for used vehicles from 1 October 2026 is vehicle-specific and does not create a new process for general merchandise.

What the inspection actually covers

Documents

Invoice, packing list, bill of lading, specification, and the test report. The numbers and the model references have to agree across all of them.

Testing

Carried out by an accredited laboratory, ISO/IEC 17025 or the national equivalent. A report from an unrecognised laboratory is the most common reason a shipment is held.

Labelling

Manufacturer or exporter identity, model number, and country of origin on the product, matching the documents.

Physical check

Quantity, packaging integrity, and appearance. The inspector may sample for laboratory testing, in which case the shipment waits for the result.

Who does what

Importer

Lodges the import declaration that starts the process, and uses the certificate at the port.

Exporter

Files the request form with the invoice and test reports, and presents the goods for inspection.

Verification body

Reviews documents, arranges inspection and testing, and issues the certificate or a notice of non-conformity.

Before the crate is closed

Test report from an accredited laboratory

ISO/IEC 17025 or the national equivalent, and it has to name the goods as shipped.

Commercial documents that agree with each other

Invoice, packing list and the model references on the label.

Certificate of Conformity

Issued before shipment. It is the document the port checks, and it cannot be produced afterwards.

What circulates, and why it is wrong

One certificate covers every shipment to every market

The schemes are national. A Kenyan certificate does not clear Lagos, and a Nigerian one does not clear Mombasa. Each destination has its own route and its own body.

The certificate can be arranged once the goods are at sea

It is issued before shipment, in the country of origin. A shipment that leaves without it is a shipment the port will not clear.

What buyers ask

Which markets need a pre-shipment certificate?

Most of the ones we ship to. Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda run the PVoC route; Nigeria runs SONCAP; Ghana runs the GSA programme. Each is national and each has its own issuing body, so the destination decides the route.

How long does the process take?

It depends on the inspection body and the season, and it is scheduled rather than instant. The practical point is that it has to be booked before the crate is closed, because the inspection looks at the goods and the documents together.

What stops a shipment at inspection most often?

Documents that disagree with each other, and test reports from a laboratory the scheme does not recognise. Both are avoidable before the goods are presented.

Does a European or North American test report work?

Sometimes, and it has to come from an accredited laboratory. The safest approach is to confirm with the verification body before shipping, because a report the scheme does not accept costs the whole shipment.