GS1 is transforming trade and consumer trust through verified data, smart barcodes, and traceability, says CEO Zinhle Tyikwe
When Zinhle Tyikwe talks about standards, she doesn’t mean bureaucracy, she means barcodes—the invisible rules that let goods move, tills tally, pharmacists verify and regulators trust. In South Africa, it wasn’t so long ago that shop assistants stuck tiny price stickers on every tin and tube, before they embraced GS1 barcodes.
“GS1 is a standards organisation. We work with many solution providers, but the way we identify products, capture them into systems and share information is standardised,” explains Tyikwe, the Chief Executive Officer of GS1 South Africa, a role she assumed on 1 July 2022 after nearly a decade at the Consumer Goods Council of South Africa (CGCSA), GS1’s local trading name.
The aim is simple but ambitious: anyone, anywhere, should be able to scan and understand product data in the same way. Who’s the brand owner, the metrics of that product, the size and weight so that logistics companies can efficiently pack their trucks.
“Those lines—we call them linear barcodes—hold a lot of information. At the point of sale, there are about ten billion ‘beeps’ happening in a minute around the world,” says Tyikwe.
Each scan updates stock levels, signals replenishment, synchronises price changes, and validates transactions—a river of events that quietly keeps retail humming. And the next revolution is already here: two-dimensional barcodes.
“We’re moving into 2D. Some people call it a QR code—QR is actually a GS1 symbol—but we’re moving to Data Matrix, which is a little smaller,” she says.
The shift is because of capacity, as the new codes carry rich, structured data: packaging sustainability, nutrition, allergens, batch and lot numbers, expiry dates, serial numbers and links to brand-owner-verified content.
“Brand owners will be able to include video, images… even recipes, as the data links directly to the brand owner. It doesn’t just link anywhere on the internet,” adds Tyikwe.
GS1 South Africa’s footprint stretches across the backbone of the economy, from FMCG, transport and logistics, to agriculture. Mining, a sector Tyikwe calls “still largely untapped” for standards in South Africa, is becoming a continental opportunity. GS1 is helping set up GS1 DRC to track and trace minerals, while GS1 standards support mining in Australia for copper and, in other markets, for gold.
With 120 member organisations worldwide, GS1 is both global and local, but South Africa is not a passenger: rather, they are part of the development of the standards.
“There’s a leadership role we play—helping set up GS1 in Namibia, Mauritius, Kenya, and now Angola and the DRC. Every regulator wants labels in their own language. That’s costly for producers. With 2D codes and digital links, you’ll scan and see content in the language of your region. We’re also working on accessibility—so apps can speak for those who cannot. We make compliance easier through standardised data,” reveals Tyikwe.
And for healthcare, where a mislabelled vial can cost a life, the stakes are stark: if a patient has an adverse reaction, standards let you trace the batch, identify who received it and respond quickly. Even implants and medical devices should be uniquely identified and traceable—who manufactured it, when it was implanted, by which doctor.
In the end, Tyikwe wants South Africans—and Africans—to see GS1 not as a foreign imposition but as a platform they co-create.
“Standards are not just about compliance, they’re about competitiveness… and every scan is a voice carrying trusted data from the product to the consumer.”
Forging trust and connectivity across African supply chains
In today’s world, a single scan can unlock
an entire story of authenticity, safety, and trust
From retail shelves to hospital wards, every beep echoes with purpose. Since its beginnings in 1982, as the South African Numbering Association—GS1 South Africa has been at the forefront of this transformation, championing standards that empower industries locally, regionally, and globally.
As a neutral, not-for-profit organisation, GS1’s greatest value lies in its impartiality, it does not serve one company, one sector, or one interest. Instead, it creates a trusted platform where competitors, regulators, and partners can align on common standards that benefit consumers, businesses, and society as a whole.
At the helm of GS1 South Africa is Zinhle Tyikwe, a fearless yet people-centred leader. She believes that leadership requires more than passion and vision, it demands humility, discipline, resilience, and the courage to inspire collective action.
Founded in 1982, GS1 South Africa (GS1 SA) is the only authorised body to issue barcodes, GTINs, and GS1 standards in South Africa and several SADC countries under the 600 and 601 prefixes. Its mission is simple yet profound: to foster visibility, safety, and efficiency in supply chains.
From a global context, GS1 more than 50 years ago invented the barcode, sparking a digital revolution that forever changed how products move through supply chains. Today, GS1 operates in over 120 countries, supporting more than two million members. With barcodes scanned over 10 billion times daily, GS1 standards have become a universal language of trust and efficiency in global trade.
GS1 SA has led South Africa’s journey from the humble barcode to cutting-edge digital identity systems:
- 2002: Launch of the Product Data Catalogue to enable trusted brand, buyer data exchange.
- Today: Platforms like the Global Data Synchronisation Network (GDSN), Activate, and Verified by GS1 ensure product authenticity, regulatory compliance, and supply chain transparency.
- Future: 2D barcodes and GS1 Digital Link will unlock richer layers of information, from sustainability credentials to provenance data, all in a single scan.
- Launched a Let Sure Verified by GS1 App.
GS1 South Africa plays a pivotal role across multiple sectors:
- Retail & Marketplaces – Supporting omni-channel trade with visibility, compliance, and efficiency.
- Agriculture – Enabling farm-to-fork traceability.
- SMMEs – Empowering small businesses with GTINs that open doors to both local and global markets.
- Mining – Enhancing equipment tracking and worker safety
On e-commerce platforms, GS1 GTINs are now required by giants such as Takealot and Mercado. Verified product data not only protects brand authenticity but also drives measurable results, 40% more impressions and 20% higher conversions.
Tyikwe stresses the importance of trusted data in today’s supply chains which are vast, interconnected, and increasingly complex.
She says GS1 ensures that data is accurate, standardised, and verifiable, providing the common language that businesses, regulators, and consumers rely on. Without trusted data, efficiency falters and consumer trust erodes. With it, companies unlock speed, agility, and resilience.
“But beyond efficiency, lives depend on these standards. A barcode scan can prevent counterfeit or expired medicines from reaching patients. In retail, it ensures traceability from farm to fork, protecting consumers in the event of recalls. In manufacturing, it safeguards workers by ensuring equipment is properly identified and maintained,” Tyikwe says.
Tyikwe highlights the rise of artificial intelligence which is adding a new dimension to GS1’s mission. AI thrives on data, but only when that data is structured, standardised, and trustworthy. From predictive analytics in logistics to personalised retail experiences and AI-driven healthcare, the quality of outcomes depends on the integrity of the information that fuels them.
She sees GS1 as a natural enabler of this future. Beyond South Africa, Tyikwe says GS1 SA is a trusted enabler of regional commerce. By administering prefixes and standards across SADC, it helps integrate neighbouring markets, laying the foundation for regional interoperability and inclusive economic growth.
As for the future, Tyikwe outlies GS1’S Vision 2030, based on a bold global commitment to powering trust in data for everyone, everywhere. For Tyikwe, Vision 2030 is central to GS1 SA’s mandate: “Every scan is not just about data, it’s about trust, safety, and progress for people everywhere. That is the future we are building toward.”
