Stay Safe: Non-Compliant Products Risk
By Francis Maingaila ♥️
Lusaka, Zambia24 - (17-10-2025) - The Zambia Compulsory Standards Agency (ZCSA) has launched a strict crackdown on substandard and unsafe products, probing both local and imported goods to hold traders and manufacturers accountable for failing to meet national standards.
Speaking during the Zambia Compulsory Standards Agency (ZCSA) Board’s courtesy call on the Northern Province Minister, Board Chairperson Mr. Ian Besa Mupeta reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to public education and enforcement of compulsory standards to protect consumers, public health, and the environment.
Mr. Mupeta said ZCSA, established under the Compulsory Standards Act No. 3 of 2017, operates under the Ministry of Commerce, Trade and Industry (MCTI) to ensure that only safe and quality products reach the market.
“The agency’s mandate is to enforce compulsory standards for public safety, health, and environmental protection. We continue to engage producers, traders, and consumers on the importance of compliance,” he said.
ZCSA regulates 102 products, including food, beverages, fertilizers, fuel, cement, electrical appliances, used textiles, and packaging materials.
In Northern and Luapula provinces, key regulated items include maize meal, mineral water, sugar, peanut butter, cooking oil, animal feeds, number plates, washing soaps, and opaque beer.
New standards introduced on October 1, 2025, now cover concrete blocks, tomato-based products, roofing sheets, and fish products such as fingerlings and broodstock.
Mr. Mupeta reported that Northern Province has recorded a 177% increase in business registrations, from 13 firms between 2019 and 2022 to 23 currently.
Luapula Province has also seen growth, with 15 active companies this year compared to 11 previously, mostly in peanut butter, maize meal, and mineral water production.
He revealed that the Luapula office handled two consumer complaints—one concerning poor-quality gloss paint and another about fertilizer suspected to contain stones and soil. Samples from both cases have been submitted for laboratory testing.
ZCSA will conduct open market surveillance in Mansa, Chembe, Samfya, Mwense, and Mwansabombwe to verify the quality and safety of products on sale.
“This exercise will help inspectors withdraw non-compliant goods and raise awareness among consumers to check manufacturing and expiry dates,” Mr. Mupeta said.
He added that inspectors will also sensitize traders on 41 newly gazetted standards now under enforcement.
“ZCSA remains committed to ensuring only safe products are supplied to consumers through continued factory inspections, border monitoring, and market surveillance,” he said.
Mr. Mupeta appealed to provincial administrations and producers to work closely with ZCSA to promote compliance.
He urged businesses to engage the agency early in the production process to align with regulatory requirements and enhance their competitiveness in domestic and export markets.
He said the ZCSA Board has so far visited offices in seven provinces, with Luapula and Northern being the final stops. These visits, he explained, aim to gather first-hand information and strengthen the agency’s service delivery.
“ZCSA will continue partnering with local authorities and the private sector to promote consumer protection and fair trade practices,” Mr. Mupeta concluded.
And Brian Hatyoka, ZCSA Manager of Communications and Public Relations, speaking during a roadshow at Maramba Market in Livingstone, urged consumers to exercise caution and strictly follow health and safety standards when buying regulated products.
He emphasized that both the public and business community must cooperate with ZCSA to protect health and ensure compliance with market regulations.
Hatyoka also highlighted the dangers of unregulated and illegally produced alcoholic beverages, which often exceed safe alcohol levels and can lead to blindness, deafness, and death.
Consumers were advised to purchase alcohol only from authorized and reliable sources, while producers and suppliers must secure ZCSA approval before distributing products.
The agency encourages the public to report suspicious or non-compliant products to ZCSA offices in Lusaka, provincial centers, and border posts, allowing for swift enforcement action.
ZCSA also conducts factory inspections, market surveillance, and product testing to ensure compliance with compulsory standards.
In Southern Province, key regulated products include opaque beer, mealie meal, packaged drinking water, potable spirits, table wines, animal feed, peanut butter, sugar, and number plates.
Hatyoka urged producers and traders to engage early with ZCSA to meet standards, improve product safety, and expand access to both domestic and international markets.
He concluded by thanking attendees for their cooperation and called for ongoing collaboration between the agency, businesses, and consumers to protect public health and strengthen Zambia’s market integrity.
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