COUNTERFEIT GOODS

Flood of counterfeit grocery items into Zimbabwe is causing concern

By our African Marketing Confederation News Team | 2025

Authorities say goods may be a public health risk. Tuck shops stocking these items are also undermining viability of formal retail sector.

Around half of groceries seized from tuck shops and vending stalls in Zimbabwe have been found to be fake and potentially dangerous to the public.

This is according to a senior government official in the wake of the country’s crackdown on counterfeit and smuggled goods.

Pemba Mpimaji via Wikomedia Commons

Speaking to the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Industry and Commerce last week, Douglas Runyowa, Chief Director for Commerce in the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, said the influx of these goods is at alarming levels.

“Most of what we have seen in the informal sector is quite shocking. In our awareness programmes we are warning people that, while some of these products might be cheap, they come at the expense of health because we cannot guarantee their safety,” Runyowa said.

“I do not want to scare you, but I must inform you that we recently carried out a survey where we purchased products from the shelves and tested them.

“The results showed that 50% of these products did not comply with the required standards. You can find fake Vaseline, fake flour, fake rice, fake toothpaste – and this is an alarming situation.”

The investigation, which is said to be ongoing since October last year, is being carried out by the Ministry of Industry and Commerce in collaboration with the Standards Association of Zimbabwe.

“The surge in informal trading has had a detrimental effect on formal retail businesses, with many large supermarket chains reporting significant losses as more consumers turn to tuck shops for cheaper alternatives. Some formal retailers have been forced to scale back operations or shut down entirely,” reports the news website ‘New Zimbabwe’.

It quotes Runyowa as saying: “While we must crack down on counterfeit goods, we also need to find ways to support formal businesses and ensure they remain competitive.”

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