South African Bureau of Standards

Since 1945 the SABS has been developing, maintaining and promoting South African National Standards (SANS) that influence life as we know it.   The water you drink, food you eat, clothes you wear, car you drive, road you drive on, buildings you enter, appliances you use, systems that you encounter – all of these things are made and governed by a set of standards.  As technology and society change, so too do the standards.  SABS constantly reviews standards to ensure that South Africans can benefit from improved products and services.

Standardisation plays an increasingly important role in international trade and the opening-up of markets. The South African Bureau of Standards (SABS) uses industrial strategy to help the South African economy and business compete and grow.  Our services help companies to thrive and gain access to markets.

SABS Mandate

SABS is a statutory body that was established in terms of the Standards Act, 1945 (Act No. 24 of 1945) and continues to operate in terms of the latest edition of the Standards Act, 2008 (Act No. 8 of 2008) as the national standardisation institution in South Africa, mandated to:

· Develop, promote and maintain South African National Standards (SANS)

· Promote quality in connection with commodities, products and services

· Render conformity assessment services and assist in matters connected therewith.

International Affiliations

As a founder member of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), SABS has built a reputation globally as a long-standing and widely respected role player in international standardisation, and the leading standardisation body in Africa.

The South African Bureau of Standards is associated with various Regional and International Standards Bodies, such as:

IEC - International Electrotechnical Commission

IEEE - Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers

ISO - International Organization for Standardization

ITU - International Telecommunication Union

ASTM - Originally known as the American Society for Testing and Materials

WSSN - World Standards Services Network

Standards

SABS develops and maintains relevant South African National Standards (SANS), aligned to socio-economic and industrialisation priorities of the country. Inclusive participation is encouraged through technical committees, responsible for the development of SANS.

Certification

We provide independent third party conformity assessment services. These include system certification, product certification and consignment inspection.

Laboratory Services

SABS also provides various types of testing services for different areas in support of industrial growth and consumer safety. We have the largest suite of test facilities in Africa.  Our laboratories are accredited to SANS/ISO/IEC 17025 and we pride ourselves on the reliability and thoroughness of testing procedures and reporting.  Categories of testing services include amongst others performance testing, type testing and safety requirements.

Local Content

SABS is appointed by the Department of Trade and Industry (the dti) to conduct local verification services in accordance with the Preferential Procurement Policy Framework Act (PPPFA) regulation.  The local content verification is aligned to designated products and according to SANS 1286.

Training

SABS also offers a diverse range of management system training courses to the leading management system standards including SANS/ISO 9001, SANS/ISO 14001, SANS/ISO 45001 (previously OHSAS 18001), SANS/ISO 50001, SANS/ISO 27001, HACCP.  Our consulting services assist clients to effectively implement management system standards and assess readiness for certification.