Market Check Testing Policy Notice

Lighting Africa has developed and released a new policy that outlines the procedure for randomly and anonymously conducting market check tests to verify the quality and performance of off-grid products sold in Africa.

This policy will ensure that the quality and performance of products in the market are consistent, and reflect the advertised information about them. It will encourage truth-in-advertising to avoid misleading concumers.

The tests will be done at Lighting Africa’s cost.

Products that fail to meet minimum quality standards, or prior Lighting Africa test results will be subjected to additional, more thorough testing.

Failure to still meet standards will result in loss of the product’s quality assured status (Associate status) and will deny the manufacturer access to Lighting Africa’s business support services.

The Market Check Testing Policy is available for download here..

The Policy Highlights:

Goal:  Ensure that the quality and performance of products in the market are consistent and match advertised information.

The Test:  LA-ISM and/or LA-QTM testing methodologies are used to determine if the product samples meet or exceed the performance measured from previous LA-QTM testing.

Eligibility: Products supported by Lighting Africa.

Sampling: Products are randomly and anonymously procured from retail outlets in the market by Lighting Africa representatives.

The Cost:  Lighting Africa assumes responsibility for all costs associated with product procurement and testing.

Testing Frequency:  At the discretion of Lighting Africa.

Test Results:  Confidential results from the market check test will be released solely to the manufacturer.

Test Pass: Products that pass the test require no further action by the manufacturer.

Test Failure:  Products that fail to meet the Minimum Quality Standards and/or prior LA-QTM test results in the initial market check test will be subjected to additional, more thorough testing.  Failure of the secondary testing will result in loss of the product’s quality assured status (Associate status) within the Lighting Africa program as well as access to services that are contingent on that status. 

To regain Associate status, the company can pay to have the product retested at the full, unsubsidized LA-QTM price.