Counterfeit toys and games are increasingly being sold across South Africa, adding another industry to the vast illicit economy that The Common Sense has previously documented is cannibalising the country’s formal businesses.

The South African Toys and Games Association (SATAGA) has warned that counterfeit toys, games, and trading cards are being sold through informal markets, at intersections, in shopping centres, and through online retailers and social media.

The association says the problem extends beyond companies losing sales to counterfeiters. Fake toys can bypass the testing, quality controls, and regulatory requirements applied to legitimate products, potentially exposing children to unsafe materials and components.

SATAGA managing director Farrel Frank has warned of risks including toxic materials, choking hazards, sharp components, and faulty batteries or electronics.

A special report by The Common Sense set out how illegal mining, counterfeit goods, illicit cigarettes, extortion networks, and other underground industries have established extensive supply chains and parallel institutions alongside the legal economy.

Counterfeit toys provide another example of how these networks reach ordinary consumers. Goods can enter the country illegally or move through unauthorised supply chains before appearing alongside legitimate products in markets and retail outlets.

Recent police operations provide evidence of the trade. Gauteng police seized counterfeit toys during raids in Boksburg and Randfontein in August, alongside other allegedly illicit and counterfeit goods.

SATAGA has also linked the counterfeit trade to the wider organised crime economy.

The economic damage extends beyond the immediate loss suffered by legitimate manufacturers and retailers. Businesses operating legally must pay taxes, comply with labour and product regulations, meet safety standards, and absorb the costs associated with formal distribution. Counterfeiters can avoid many of those costs.

That gives illicit operators an advantage over legitimate businesses and allows the underground economy to take a larger share of consumer spending.