South Africa moves to amend Second-Hand Goods Act to ban cash scrap sales
South African police have moved to amend the Second-Hand Goods Act so that all acquisitions of controlled metals (including copper) by scrap dealers must be paid by electronic means, with dealer and waste-picker registers recording seller identity. Foreign nationals without verified legal permanent residency would be barred from trading licences. The bill, approved by cabinet for public comment in August with comments due by November 2, escalates the September recommendation to end cash copper-scrap trading into a concrete legislative step.
South African police have moved to amend the Second-Hand Goods Act so that all acquisitions of controlled metals (including copper) by scrap dealers must be paid by electronic means, with dealer and waste-picker registers recording seller identity. Foreign nationals without verified legal permanent residency would be barred from trading licences. The bill, approved by cabinet for public comment in August with comments due by November 2, escalates the September recommendation to end cash copper-scrap trading into a concrete legislative step.
Research completed: 2026-10-05T11:56:58.000Z.
Received by Insights: 2026-10-06T06:39:10.257Z.
Source publication date: 2026-10-05.
Sources:
2026-10-05 — https://www.businessday.co.za/news/2026-10-05-sa-moves-to-ban-cash-scrap-metal-sales-amid-r45bn-annual-losses/
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Source: Mecuvo upstream research · businessday.co.za