Quality Inspection Guide
How to ensure goods meet your standards before they leave Africa. Pre-shipment inspections, AQL sampling, defect classification, and working with inspection firms like SGS and Bureau Veritas.
Types of Quality Inspection
Pre-Production Inspection (PPI)
Verify raw materials, components, and production setup meet specifications
During Production Inspection (DPI)
Catch quality issues early before full batch is affected
Pre-Shipment Inspection (PSI)
Final quality check before goods are packed and shipped
Container Loading Inspection (CLI)
Verify correct quantity, packaging integrity, and loading conditions
What is AQL (Acceptable Quality Level)?
AQL is a statistical sampling method (ISO 2859-1) that determines the maximum number of defective units considered acceptable in a batch. Instead of checking every unit, inspectors examine a random sample and accept or reject the batch based on the defect count.
Critical Defects
Safety hazards, regulatory non-compliance, completely unusable. Zero tolerance - reject entire shipment.
Examples: Wrong chemical composition, mold/contamination, electrical hazard
Critical Defects (Relaxed)
Used for non-safety-critical products where some tolerance exists.
Examples: Minor structural weakness in packaging
Major Defects
Product doesn't meet specifications but isn't dangerous. Industry standard for most consumer goods.
Examples: Wrong dimensions, color mismatch, missing labels, functional failure
Minor Defects
Cosmetic issues that don't affect usability. Acceptable for most markets.
Examples: Small scratches, slight color variation, minor packaging dents