G/SPS/N/ZAF/65  
 
12 November 2019  
(19-7692) Page: 1/2 
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures  Original: English  
 
  
NOTIFICATION  
1. Notifying Member:  SOUTH AFRICA  
If applicable, name of local government involved:   
2. Agency responsible:  NPPOZA Directorate Inspection services  
3. Products covered (provide tariff item number(s) as specified in national 
schedules deposited with the WTO; ICS numbers should be provided in addition, 
where applicable):  Table grapes  
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable : 
[X] All trading partners   
[ ] Specific regions or countries:   
5. Title of the notified document:  An electronic system for phytosanitary certificate 
issuance, eCertification . Language(s):  English . Number of pages:  1 
https://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2019/SPS/ZAF/19_6322_00_e.pdf  
6. Description of content:  South Africa developed an electronic system for export 
certifica tion (eCertification). The issuance of ePhytos started on 1 November 2019. 
The eCertification system further required  introduction of new template of the paper 
based phytosanitary certificate.  
Trading partners that have ability to receive ePhytos that Sout h Africa will be delivering, 
may receive them via the IPPC hub in an XML format or direct (where bilaterally agreed).  
This is phase 1 of the migration to the new phytosanitary certificate template and ePhyto, 
which started with grapes in November 2019 and will be followed by Citrus in March 2020 
and the rest of plant commodities in April 2020. Members are advised to take note that 
currently there are two phytosanitary certificate templates in circulation until end of March 
2020.  
The following are features f or the new phytosanitary certificate template for South Africa:  
1. The paper format has additional security features embedded in the document that can 
be viewed under ultra violet light;  
2. The paper format has two numbers : 
− one at the top right-hand corner : a barcode which is the document number ; 
− a second barcode and QR code as an added security feature. The phytosanitary 
certificate number appears between the QR and the barcode. T his is the number 
to be used on any communication in relation to issue d phytosanitary certificate. 
The new phytosanitary certificate number starts with "NPPO -
ZA/yyyy/mm/number "; 
3. The ephyto will only contain the new phytosanitary certificate number.  
7. Objective and rationale: [  ] food safety, [  ] animal health, [X]  plant protection, 
[ ] protect humans from animal/plant pest or disease, [  ] protect territory from 
other damage from pests.   G/SPS/N/ZAF/65  
 
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  8. Is there a relevant international standard? If so, identify the standard:  
[ ] Codex Alimentarius Commission (e.g.  title or serial number of Codex 
standard or related text) :  
[ ] World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) (e.g.  Terrestrial or Aquatic 
Animal Health Code, chapter number) :  
[X] International Plant Protection Convention (e.g.  ISPM number) : ISPM 12  
[ ] None  
Does this proposed regulation conform to the relevant international standard?  
[X] Yes   [  ] No 
If no, describe, whenever possible, how and why it deviates from the 
international standard:   
9. Other relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available:    
10. Proposed date of adoption (dd/mm/yy) : 1 November 2019  
Proposed date of publication (dd/mm/yy) : 1 November 2019  
11. Proposed date of entry into force: [  ] Six months from date of publication , 
and/or  (dd/mm/yy) : 1 November 2019  
[X] Trade facilitating measure   
12. Final date for comments: [X]  Sixty days from the date of circulation of the 
notification and/or (dd/mm/yy) : 11 January 2020  
Agency or authority designated to handle comments: [  ] National Notification 
Authority, [X]  National Enquiry Point. Address, fax number and e -mail address 
(if available) of other body:   
NPPOZA Directorate Inspection Services  
E-mail: PhindileN@daff.gov.za  
 PhilileL@daff.gov.za  
Website: http://www.daff.gov.za  
13. Text(s) available from: [  ] National Notification Authority, [X]  National Enquiry 
Point. Address, fax number and e -mail address (if available) of other body:   
NPPOZA Directorate Inspection Services  
E-mail: PhilileL@daff.gov.za  
 PhindileN@daff.gov.z  
Website: http://www.daff.gov.za