The Zambia Bureau of Standards (ZABS) has continued to record an increase in the number of certified products in the country. In 2022 alone, ZABS certified a total of 181 products bringing the cumulative number of certified products in the country to 654. These include both SME and Large Enterprise products.
With this outcome, the uptake of local products locally and internationally will increase significantly. The products certified are not limited to food and beverages but include detergents, electrical cables, fertilizers, tiles, polythene pipes, packaging materials, lubricants, to mention a few. The demand for certification has grown because of the gains that come with it.
Some of the benefits that come with certification are numerous some of which include;
- Demonstrating that a manufacturer has done all that is required to ensure the products meet the relevant criteria for quality
- Demonstrating to current and prospective customers that the product has undergone a rigorous audit and testing process
- Product certification offers consumers a high degree of confidence that the product they are buying will perform according to the specified standard.
The Zambia Bureau of Standards has continued to increase its capacity in the provision of certification services to cater for other sectors such as construction, engineering, agriculture and aquaculture and we have made significant headways in doing so.
Let me take the opportunity to announce that the certification services for ZABS have been granted accreditation by the Southern African Development Community Accreditation Services (SADCAS).
Accreditation is when an independent party confirms that a certification body (in this case ZABS) is technically competent to certify products and/or in accordance with the requirements of national and international standards and regulations.
Accreditation involves the assessment of the competence and impartiality of an organization and the compliance of their work to nationally and internationally recognized standards or schemes
As ZABS we began this road to certification in 2019 and one of the reasons we needed to do this was so we could strengthen the integrity of the certification schemes and boost confidence in both product and management systems certification schemes.
It is on record, that some of our local exporters, time and again, experience challenges in exporting their products to some international markets due to non-tariff barriers bordering on the recognition of certifications.
Now that the ZABS certification schemes have been accredited, it means our certification is credible, internationally recognized and will allow for easy entry of local products into regional and international markets.
Product certification is proof that a product complies with all the requirements stipulated in a standard. This proof also demonstrates the fulfillment of the various quality assurance and performance tests. The mark typically appears on the backside of a product.
Product certification communicates that a particular product is safe to use or purchase. It creates confidence and trust that a product functions correctly, which creates customer satisfaction. Product certification demonstrates that your products have undergone rigorous assessment and proved to comply with applicable standards.
