AI agents for business finance: what they can and can't do
What AI agents can do in bookkeeping, close, collections and compliance today, where a person must stay in charge, and how to judge a product.
The short answer
A Nigerian herbal product that makes health claims can count as a complementary medicine in South Africa, which SAHPRA has required to be registered since 15 November 2013 under a call-up system, and which may only be imported by the holder of a section 22C(1)(b) licence. SAHPRA's page does not mention African traditional medicine, so get a written view on your product before importing.
Bitters, agbo blends, moringa capsules and herbal teas from Nigeria have a ready market among Nigerians in South Africa and beyond. Whether you can import and sell them freely depends on one question: does South Africa regard the product as a medicine? If it does, the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA) is involved, and the rules are strict. This guide explains where the line sits, using SAHPRA's own page, and where the official position is unclear.
What SAHPRA means by complementary medicines
SAHPRA's complementary medicines page says these products come from six disciplines it recognises: aromatherapy, Ayurveda, homeopathy, traditional Chinese medicine, Unani Tibb and Western herbal medicine, plus certain combination products. They sit in Category D, which since a 2017 amendment has two sub-categories:
- Discipline-specific medicines
- Medicines from traditional disciplines, including those not indigenous to South Africa. High-risk ones need clinical evidence; low-risk ones may rely on traditional evidence.
- Health supplements
- Limited to low-risk indications and listed substances set out in SAHPRA guidelines; some of the lists are still being developed.
African traditional medicine is not mentioned on that page, so we cannot tell you from it whether a Yoruba or Igbo herbal remedy is treated as Western herbal medicine, a health supplement or something else. That gap matters, and it is the first question to put to SAHPRA or a regulatory adviser.
Registration and the call-up system
According to SAHPRA, complementary medicines in Category D became subject to registration from 15 November 2013. Products already on the market could continue to be sold only if conditions were met, including that an application was submitted by the deadline in the relevant call-up notice and the product made only low-risk claims such as general health maintenance. The original deadlines were removed in 2017, and new timelines are set by call-up notices under section 14 of the Medicines Act. The page we read gives no current dates, so check SAHPRA's notices for the latest position.
SAHPRA also requires that such products are correctly labelled, identified as complementary medicines and carry a precise description of their intended use.
Who may import
This is the point many small importers miss. SAHPRA says complementary medicines must be manufactured, imported, exported, wholesaled or distributed by the holder of a licence under section 22C(1)(b) of the Act. A shop owner bringing in cartons of herbal capsules on an ordinary customs registration is not that licence holder. If your product is a medicine in SAHPRA's terms, you either obtain the licence or work through a licensed importer.
Food, cosmetic or medicine?
| What the label or seller says | How it is likely to be viewed |
|---|---|
| Herbal tea, flavour and enjoyment only | Probably food; food rules apply |
| Supports general wellbeing | May be a health supplement, low-risk claim |
| Treats malaria, typhoid, diabetes, infertility or high blood pressure | A medicine claim; SAHPRA rules apply and registration is likely needed |
| Raw dried leaves, roots or bark | Also a plant health question at the border |
Marketing counts as much as the pack. A product with a modest label can still be presented as a cure in a WhatsApp broadcast, an Instagram caption or a market stall sign, and that presentation is part of how it is sold. If you resell, brief your staff and resellers on what may and may not be said, and keep copies of approved wording.
The claim is often what decides the category, so a product can move from food to medicine because of a sticker or a WhatsApp advert. Disease claims are where importers get into trouble.
Raw herbs and the border
Dried roots, barks and leaves are plant material. South Africa's plant health import procedure tells importers to check the Agricultural Pests Act, 1983 or ask the national plant protection office whether a permit is needed, and to make sure an original phytosanitary certificate from the exporting country accompanies the goods where required. On arrival SARS detains the goods for plant health inspection; non-compliant consignments may be treated, returned or destroyed.
On the Nigerian side, the Nigeria Trade Information Portal says commercial exports are declared on Form NXP and that regulatory permits, including NAFDAC and quarantine, are obtained through the National Single Window where needed. Ask your supplier for those papers.
What to check first
- Exactly what each product claims, on the pack and in your marketing.
- Whether SAHPRA would treat it as a complementary medicine, a health supplement or neither; ask in writing.
- Whether you or your importer holds a section 22C licence, if it is a medicine.
- Plant health status for any raw botanical.
- Tariff line and import VAT; see import VAT.
Where Pryme fits
If you buy from Nigerian producers, a Pryme Business Account holds naira and dollars so you can pay in the currency agreed; Swap shows the rate and fee before you approve. Outside Nigeria, Pryme works through regulated partners. Keeping a verifiable record of each supplier payment helps when a regulator or buyer asks for your paper trail; see verifiable receipts, Business multicurrency and food shop labelling rules.
Questions people ask
Do Nigerian herbal products need SAHPRA registration?
If they are complementary medicines in SAHPRA's terms, yes, under the call-up system. SAHPRA's page does not address African traditional medicine directly, so ask.
Can I sell agbo in South Africa?
Disease claims would likely make it a medicine. Without registration and a licensed importer, that is a regulatory risk.
Who can import complementary medicines into South Africa?
SAHPRA says the holder of a licence under section 22C(1)(b) of the Medicines Act.
Is herbal tea a medicine in South Africa?
Not if sold as a food with no health claims. Claims change the category.
Sources
- SAHPRA: Complementary medicines (page modified 6 Feb 2024) · accessed Oct 2026
- Department of Agriculture (NPPOZA): Plant health import procedure (undated) · accessed Oct 2026
- Nigeria Trade Information Portal: Export procedure (c. 2025) · accessed Oct 2026
This article is general information, not financial, legal or tax advice. Products described are provided under the terms on this site and are subject to regulation and eligibility.