As the world marked  on 6 June, legal and enforcement experts highlighted the escalating challenge of counterfeit goods, particularly in the digital marketplace. What was once a problem of fake luxury items sold on street corners has evolved into a sophisticated, global trade affecting pharmaceuticals, electronics, and even food.

Jan-Harm Swanepoel, a legal expert from , emphasized that the rise of e-commerce has made counterfeiting harder to combat. “With the progression of technology, enforcement has become more challenging,” Swanepoel noted. “At our firm alone, we’ve had to dedicate an entire team just to track online counterfeit sellers over the past two years.”

Counterfeiters are no longer just replicating handbags and shoes—they are now producing , putting unsuspecting buyers at serious risk. “Anything that can be copied, we’ve found in the market,” Swanepoel warned.

Swanepoel stressed the importance of  to detect suspicious shipments and counterfeit products. “Sharing information on the latest trends used by counterfeiters is crucial to staying ahead,” he said.

While South Africa’s  already imposes severe penalties—including up to —Swanepoel believes the bigger challenge lies in  with the resources to conduct deeper investigations. “The laws are strong, but we need better training and funding to dismantle counterfeit networks,” he said.

As counterfeiters grow more sophisticated, consumers are urged to , especially when shopping online. With fake goods posing serious health and safety risks, experts say the fight against counterfeiting is far from over.