Abstract:
South Africa is an open economy, and, therefore, it is affected by
what happens in foreign markets. Exports and export growth are cornerstones
of South African economic development policy. One of the implications of an
export-orientated economy is that many of its SMME manufacturers must,
of necessity, conform to the technical requirements in export markets. South
Africa will have to follow international conformity assessment trends and adapt
to the highest common denominator in many of these markets. The challenges
for local compliance with the technical standards, regulatory and conformity
assessment regimes are substantial, even when they are transparent; however,
when compared to what might be faced by local SMME’s addressing technical
requirements both closer to home within the local SADC region and in the
rest of Africa, the challenges mount exponentially.
