Sell on SMAFlash salesAll shops
SMA Market

Prohibited and restricted items

Last updated:

What may never be sold on SMA, what may be sold only with the right licences, and how to report a listing that breaks the rules.

1. How this policy works#

Shops on SMA must only sell things that are legal to sell in Ghana and safe for shoppers. This policy lists items that may never be listed (prohibited) and items that may be listed only if the shop meets extra conditions (restricted). It applies to products, product photos and descriptions, and to posts published through SMA.

The lists are not exhaustive. If something is illegal, unsafe or harmful, it is not allowed, even if it is not named here. Sellers are responsible for knowing and following the law that applies to what they sell. This policy forms part of our terms of use and seller terms.

2. Prohibited items#

These may not be listed, sold, offered or promoted on SMA under any circumstances:

  • Illegal drugs and narcotics, including cannabis products where not lawfully authorised, drug paraphernalia, and “legal highs”.
  • Weapons: firearms, ammunition, gun parts, explosives, fireworks, and weapons designed to injure, including realistic replicas.
  • Counterfeit or pirated goods: fake branded products, copies of films, music, software or games, and goods that infringe trade marks or copyright.
  • Stolen goods, or goods you cannot show you are entitled to sell.
  • Fake or official documents: forged or stolen IDs, passports, certificates, licences, ballot materials, and blank official forms; SIM cards registered to someone else.
  • Counterfeit currency, “money doubling” services and other financial scams, pyramid or Ponzi schemes and unlicensed investment schemes.
  • People and body parts: human organs, tissue, blood or remains, and anything connected with human trafficking or exploitation.
  • Protected wildlife: endangered or protected animals and plants, and products made from them, such as ivory, pangolin scales or protected skins.
  • Sexual content involving minors, in any form. We report it to the authorities.
  • Pornography and sexual services.
  • Unsafe products: recalled products, products banned by the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) or the Ghana Standards Authority, and cosmetics containing banned ingredients such as mercury, or hydroquinone above the permitted level.
  • Unregistered or falsified medicines, and products sold with false health claims, such as “cures” for serious illnesses.
  • Military and police items: uniforms, insignia and equipment of the security services, including camouflage clothing restricted by law.
  • Hacking and surveillance tools, stolen accounts or passwords, personal data and contact lists, and services to fake followers, reviews or votes.
  • Hate items: anything that promotes violence or hatred against people because of their ethnicity, religion, gender, disability or other characteristics.
  • Unlicensed gambling and lottery products not authorised by the National Lottery Authority or the Gaming Commission.
  • Unlicensed precious minerals, such as gold or diamonds from illegal mining or sold without the required licence.

3. Restricted items#

These may be sold only if the shop holds every licence, registration or permit the law requires, describes the item accurately and follows the conditions below. We may ask for proof at any time and remove listings without it.

  • Medicines and medical devices: only by pharmacies and suppliers licensed by the Pharmacy Council, for products registered with the FDA. Prescription-only medicines may not be listed for open sale.
  • Food and drinks, cosmetics and herbal products: must be safe, within their use-by date, correctly labelled, and registered with the FDA where registration is required.
  • Alcohol and tobacco, including e-cigarettes: licensed sellers only, never sold to anyone under 18, and with no claims that they are healthy.
  • Agrochemicals and pesticides: registered products only, in original, labelled packaging.
  • Live animals: healthy, legally kept animals only, with any required veterinary or movement permits, and never protected species.
  • Vehicles, motorbikes and spare parts: with genuine documents and accurate history; no tampered or stolen vehicles.
  • Phones and electronics: no blacklisted, stolen or illegally unlocked devices, and refurbished or used items must be described as such.
  • Knives and tools: kitchen, work and craft tools only, described for their legitimate use and never sold to minors.
  • Second-hand goods: must be clean, safe and described honestly, including any faults.
  • Branded goods: must be genuine. If you resell branded goods, be ready to show where you bought them.

4. What happens if a listing breaks this policy#

We may remove the listing, hide the shop from the marketplace, remove a verified shop badge, suspend or close the shop, and, where the law requires or a crime may have been committed, report it to the authorities. Repeated or serious breaches lead to permanent removal.

5. Report a listing#

If you see something on SMA that should not be there, tell us. Include the link to the product or shop and a short explanation. We review every report and do not tell the shop who reported it.