SAPS and partner agencies seized more than 1,700 counterfeit sports apparel and footwear items plus manufacturing equipment worth over R1.5 million during a raid at a storage facility in the Johannesburg CBD on 6 September 2026, according to SAnews.gov.za. The National Counterfeit and Illicit Goods Unit led the operation, which uncovered goods bearing protected brands including Springboks-branded merchandise.
The takedown involved the Gauteng Counterfeit and Illicit Goods Unit, Public Order Policing, the Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department, SARS Customs Division, and brand protection representatives, SAnews.gov.za reported. Police also seized counterfeit labels and stickers, an embossing machine, and silkscreen plates believed to have been used in producing counterfeit goods.
SAPS said in a statement reported by SAnews.gov.za on 6 September 2026: “The team executed several search-and-seizure warrants and uncovered a significant quantity of counterfeit goods, including sports apparel and footwear bearing protected and well-known brands, including Springboks-branded merchandise.” The raid targeted a storage facility identified as a distribution hub for counterfeit sports merchandise.
“In addition to the counterfeit merchandise, police seized manufacturing equipment and materials believed to have been used in the production and distribution of counterfeit goods,” SAPS added in the same statement. The seized equipment included an embossing machine and silkscreen plates used to apply counterfeit branding to apparel and footwear.
The September operation follows a similar multi-agency raid in the Johannesburg CBD on 29 July 2026, independently reported by SABC News and eNCA. Both outlets confirmed that the SAPS National Counterfeit and Illicit Goods Unit and SARS participated in that earlier operation, which seized clothing, electronics, and cosmetics.
“So far, we have seized several items, including counterfeit clothing, sports apparel, footwear and electronic goods such as chargers and Bluetooth devices,” a SAPS spokesperson told eNCA during the July raid. That operation targeted businesses across the Johannesburg CBD in a crackdown on counterfeit and illicit goods.
The repeated operations in the same area indicate an ongoing enforcement pattern targeting counterfeit goods distribution networks rather than isolated incidents. The presence of Springboks-branded counterfeit merchandise suggests counterfeiters are exploiting the commercial popularity of national sports teams.
The number of arrests linked to the September operation, the precise number of warrants executed, and the valuation methodology behind the R1.5 million figure remain unverified from a single source. Cape Flats News journalist Thandi Nombembe will seek confirmation from SAPS Gauteng and update this report as more information becomes available.