The affixation of labels represents one of the most important components of the type approval of telecom equipment in South Africa. The country’s regulator, the ICASA has always rigorously applied this measure.

The labelling of equipment consists in affixing a label that contains the certificate number of each piece of equipment. The label is used to indicate that the equipment complies with the technical standards recognised by the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA).

According to the Label Regulation, published in the Government Gazette, 28 December 2012: All equipment that has been type approved and received a Type Approval certificate must have a legible label permanently affixed to such equipment. The packaging and/or container of the equipment shall bear a label. The label must be affixed to the equipment before the equipment is made available for sale or lease or is supplied in any other manner. In an instance where a supplier is of the view that a permanently affixed label is not desirable or is not feasible, a written request for an alternative method of displaying the label, including E‐labelling, must be made to the Authority prior to supply or use of equipment. The label must be protected against damage, such as scratching and ultraviolet (UV) exposure that may lead to the information on the labelling becoming illegible. The Label shall bear the following information: ICASA logo and the ICASA issued certificate number(s). E‐labelling can also be used as alternative method of displaying the label. Even if they have the same certificate and the same certificate number, the labelling of a single piece of equipment is not valid for all the other models. All the pieces of equipment of the same models must bear the ICASA label before their marketing