“For now, there is no decision but people should know that South Africa recognises Israel inside the 1948 UN borders,” Macdonald Netshitenzhe, the trade ministry’s director for trade policies and legislations, told AFP.

“Now coming to the issue of Palestine and Israel, a product from Israel has to be manufactured or produced within the borders of 1948.

Under the 1948 boundaries, territories occupied after 1967 such as the Gaza Strip are not included.

“Therefore for the goods or vegetables which are grown in the area where Israel invaded other Arab countries, South Africa says, you better say these products are grown in Palestine or Occupied Palestinian Territories,” Netshitenzhe added.

Trade and Industry Minister Rob Davies said Wednesday the move was aimed at helping “South Africans who do not support Israel, but who in fact do support the Palestinians, to identify those products.”

“This doesn’t, however, mean any kind of boycott of Israeli products,” he said, in remarks quoted by South African news agency SAPA.