Today is a great day for South Africa, its exports in general, and Perishable Goods in particular, as the South African agricultural export sector reaches another milestone in its digital transformation journey..
As of 1 October 2025, the Perishable Products Export Control Board (PPECB) an accredited organisation and assignee of the Department of Agriculture (DoA) has officially taken over the administration of the eCert platform, the country’s online system for phytosanitary certification..
This is a bold step towards making South Africa’s fresh produce export processes faster, safer, and fully digital while reinforcing global confidence in the country’s agricultural exports..
“This places the South African fresh packed fruit verification of food safety, pest risk management and all the processes from seed to export shipments by air, land and sea head and shoulders ahead of any other country in terms of paperless (fraud protected) verification,” said Andy Connell, a much respected and well-known expert in the world of shipping globally, particularly in the perishable goods industry..
What is eCert and why does it matter..??
eCert is an advanced digital platform designed to receive, verify, process, and deliver certification documentation to trading partners in agriculture..
By replacing manual paper-based systems, eCert plays a crucial role in ensuring that exporters remain compliant with international standards, avoid delays at foreign ports, and provide buyers with trustworthy digital verification..
For South Africa’s trading partners, this means greater transparency and traceability across the entire supply chain, a vital component in today’s risk-sensitive global trade environment.
The strategic value of PPECB
By managing eCert, the PPECB can integrate the platform with its highly regarded Titan 2.0 electronic inspection system, streamlining inspections and certification into one connected digital ecosystem.. Titan 2.0 already includes:
- Product inspection
- Electronic certification (with further enhancements underway)
- Organisational linking
- Schedule 1 temperature regimes
- Export notification
- Container loading (additional fields being completed by November)
- Full container inspections, including cleanliness, dual inspections, pre-trip checks, and calibration
Soon, vessel inspection and vessel loading capabilities will also be added, creating an end-to-end, fully paperless verification process..
Key benefits for the industry
This transition is more than an administrative shift — it represents a structural upgrade to South Africa’s export ecosystem. Exporters and trading partners can expect:
- Improved alignment: Bringing eCert under PPECB’s management strengthens integration between inspection, certification, and export processes
- Enhanced service delivery: Combining the expertise and resources of both PPECB and eCert ensures the platform keeps evolving to meet the needs of exporters and their international buyers
- Sustainable governance: Centralised oversight supports long-term stability, transparency, and efficiency for all users
Raising the bar for compliance and trade integrity
With this integration, South Africa is setting a new global benchmark in paperless, fraud-protected verification for agricultural exports..
Every stage, from seed to shipment by air, land, or sea, now benefits from stronger controls, better traceability, and improved pest risk management..
For overseas buyers, the message is clear: South African fresh produce is backed by world-class digital safety and compliance systems..
This is not just a national achievement, it strengthens South Africa’s competitive positioning in international markets where import requirements and compliance expectations continue to rise..
“This presents our trading partners with the assurance of full compliance and traceability, significantly raising the bar for trading integrity,” added Connell..
A moment of transformation
For the industry, this is more than just a technical upgrade, it is a historic digital leap forward.. Exporters can now expect faster turnaround, stronger buyer confidence, and reduced risk of costly delays or documentation errors..
South Africa is proving that when technology, governance, and industry collaboration align, trade can become more seamless, trusted, and future-ready..
Watch this space as we bring you more information and the benefits of this development..
