Counterfeit toys in South Africa now account for an estimated 25% of the toy and games market, industry figures released on Wednesday, 9 September 2026 show, up from about 5% in 2022.
The South African Toy and Games Association (SATGA) puts the counterfeit and non-compliant share at about R1.9 billion of an industry valued at an estimated R8.7 billion, as reported by EWN.
The association represents manufacturers, importers and retailers operating in the legitimate market.
The estimate marks a fivefold rise in four years. Counterfeit and non-compliant goods accounted for roughly 5% of the market in 2022, meaning the illegal trade has moved from a fringe problem into a substantial share of what South African children play with.
Why counterfeit toys in South Africa avoid safety testing
Legitimate toys sold in the country must meet compliance and safety requirements before they reach a shelf, a process that carries cost and time. Counterfeit manufacturers skip that step entirely. Bypassing testing and regulatory approval is what allows the goods to undercut established brands on price.
The two categories are not identical. A counterfeit toy copies a registered brand without authorisation, while a non-compliant one may carry no brand at all and simply fail the safety standards set for the product.
Both reach the consumer through the same route, and the association counts them together.
The gap shows up in the products themselves. One reported complaint involved a toy that gave off a strong chemical smell and allegedly caused a burning and tingling sensation where it touched the skin. Untested items can carry chemical, choking or mechanical risks that surface only once a child has been harmed.
How counterfeit toys reached mainstream retail shelves
Counterfeit stock was once confined largely to informal markets, where buyers had some sense of what they were getting. The expansion of online sales platforms changed that.
Illegal goods now move through mainstream retail outlets and online shopping sites, where packaging and product listings look no different from the real thing.
That shift removes the usual warning signs. A shopper comparing two listings on the same platform has little way of telling a compliant toy from one that never went near a test laboratory, beyond a price that seems too low for the brand on the box.
What is being done about counterfeit toys
In December 2025, the Consumer Goods Council of South Africa (CGCSA) launched Illicit Economy Task Forces to coordinate action against illegal trade across several high-risk product categories, toys among them.
The council also runs a consumer campaign, “Checka Daai Ding”, aimed at helping shoppers identify and avoid counterfeit or illegal goods.
What happens next for counterfeit toys in South Africa
The task forces and the awareness campaign are the standing response to the trade, and neither has been given a public deadline or target.
Any retreat from the 25% share will have to come out of enforcement reaching further into the online platforms and mainstream retail shelves that carried the growth from 5% in four years.
