GS1 South Africa is the ONLY organisation that can legally issue the 600 – 609 Barcode Number prefix range. Barcodes starting with this prefix however do not indicate “Made in the South Africa”. The “country code” of a barcode shows only where the barcode was first issued and says nothing about the product, company or manufacturer origin. GS1 confirm this with their own documentation. See GS1 GS1 UK and this Media Release from GS1 Australia to learn more.
To obtain barcodes that begin with the 600 – 609 prefix you must license it directly from the SA branch of GS1. However, GS1 can be prohibitively expensive for most small businesses and start-ups. GS1 requires both sign up and on-going annual subscription fees. Applying to become a member of GS1 is a complex process and using GS1 approved partners for generating your barcode numbers and images adds additional costs.
There are no mandatory requirements to have a “600 – 609” prefix on a product produced or sold in South Africa. Retailers set their own requirements, not a governing authority. UCC/GS1 origin barcodes (GTINs) are an international standard and not restricted by any country. If you have a valid barcode number, it can be used in any country in the world.
To demonstrate that your product is made in the you can include “Made in South Africa” on your product’s packaging. Your company must be able to prove this claim if challenged.
Beware of rouge sellers who offer 600 – 609 Barcode Numbers
(!) Warning – Any barcode seller other than GS1 South Africa who offer barcodes starting with the “600 – 609” prefix are misleading you. These sellers make up numbers with a high risk of duplication against GS1’s authentic numbers causing disruption in the supply chain. There’s no relationship between these sellers and GS1. Furthermore, they’re not authorised to sell 600 – 601 prefixes. GS1 does not authorise anyone to sell their country specific prefixes. If you purchase an “600” barcode from someone other than GS1 a duplication down the track is very likely. Retailers and distributors will generally side with a GS1 license holder over a vendor using illegitimate numbers. If you have a fake “600” barcode you could be forced to pay fees to your retailer and recall your products.
NOTE: If the seller claims “you don’t have to join GS1. We joined for you” they’re either in breach of GS1’s licensing agreement – meaning you are not licensed to use the code – or more likely they are making a false claim.
Get your barcode numbers from GS1 directly or through a reputable reseller
Ensure your barcode numbers come from the GS1/UCC system. Our barcodes were first issued by the UCC, the organisation now known as GS1-US. These numbers do not incur annual GS1 fees and are free from GS1’s control. All of our stock originates with the UCC, are globally unique numbers prefixed 060 – 089, and have never been assigned to any products before. Fundamentally our numbers work like any other barcode supplied by GS1 and are suitable for use in South Africa and globally with very few exceptions.
The purchase authentic, valid and globally unique barcode numbers while avoiding GS1’s fees visit our buy barcodes page.