Case Analysis: Bennet v Prima Toys and Leisure Trading (Pty) Ltd
and Focus Asbestos Removal Services CC (7 November 2025)
The Guidance Notes are intended to serve as a reference framework for contractors,clients, stakeholders, and inspectors alike. They provide insight
When Compliance Isn’t Enough
South Africa’s electrical compliance landscape is changing. As IEC requirements are increasingly adopted through SANS standards, contractors face a growing challenge: the difference between legal compliance and customer expectations.
An installation may be safe, legally compliant, and present no immediate danger, yet still be challenged by clients, insurers, or legal representatives because it does not meet the latest technical standard.
The hidden risk lies in Section 55 of the Consumer Protection Act, which allows consumers to expect goods and services that comply with applicable standards. This means that technical standards are increasingly influencing perceptions of quality, workmanship, and liability, even where regulators may not regard a particular issue as a safety concern.
For contractors, the question is no longer simply, “Is the installation safe?” Increasingly, it is also, “Will others expect compliance with standards that go beyond minimum legal requirements?”
Understanding that distinction may become one of the most important risk management challenges facing the electrical industry in the years ahead.