South African Bureau of Standards
Standards testing and accreditation overview
Formed1 September 1945 (1945-09-01)[1]
HeadquartersPretoria, South Africa
25°46′10.61″S 28°12′45.53″E / 25.7696139°S 28.2126472°E / -25.7696139; 28.2126472
Employees738[2]
Minister responsible
Standards testing and accreditation executives
  • Jodi Scholtz, Lead Administrator
  • Dr Tshenge Demana, Co-Administrator
Parent departmentDepartment of Trade, Industry and Competition
Key documents
  • Standards Act, 1945
  • Standards Act, 2008
Websitehttps://www.sabs.co.za/
Head Office of the South African Bureau of Standards in Pretoria.

The South African Bureau of Standards (SABS) is a South African statutory body that was established in terms of the Standards Act (Act No. 24 of 1945) [3] and continues to operate in terms of the latest edition of the Standards Act, 2008 (Act No. 29 of 2008) as the national institution for the promotion and maintenance of standardisation and quality in connection with commodities and the rendering of services.[1]

Function

As the national standardization authority, the SABS is responsible for maintaining South Africa's database of more than 6,500 national standards, as well as developing new standards, revising, amending or withdrawing existing standards.

The SABS plays a critical role in ensuring safety, quality, and reliability of products and services in South Africa, and in promoting international trade through compliance with global standards.[4]

The SABS performs several essential functions[5] including:

  1. Developing and promoting standards: The SABS develops and promotes national standards across various sectors, including agriculture, engineering, construction, and consumer products. These standards aim to ensure safety, quality, and reliability of products and services in the country.
  2. Testing and certification: The SABS provides testing and certification services to various industries to ensure compliance with national and international standards. This includes testing products and materials for safety and quality, and certifying companies and products that meet the required standards.
  3. Research and innovation: The SABS conducts research and innovation activities to support the development of new standards and to improve existing ones. This includes collaborating with industry, academia, and government to identify emerging trends and technologies that may impact standards.
  4. Training and capacity building: The SABS provides training and capacity building services to industry, government, and the public on the development, implementation, and compliance with standards. This includes providing training on standards development, quality management, and certification processes.

Internationally, SABS experts represent South Africa's interests in the development of international standards, through their engagement with bodies such as the International organization for standardization (ISO) and the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC). SABS also holds the Secretariat for SADCSTAN, the standardization body for the Southern African Development Community of 14 nations.

SABS Commercial (Pty) Ltd, a self-financing division within the SABS, offers certification, testing, consignment inspection and other services, mostly to industries. Apart from offering systems certification and product testing against the requirements of South African National Standards (SANS), SABS Commercial also operates its proprietary product certification scheme – the SABS Mark of Approval, assuring buyers that products are safe, fit for purpose and provide assurance to buyers.[1]

Historically, the SABS also undertook certain regulatory functions on behalf of South Africa. In keeping with best international practice, this regulatory function was separated from the organization's standardization and certification activities, via the promulgation of the new Standards Act and the National Regulator for Compulsory Specifications Act in September 2008. Under these new laws, the former SABS Regulatory division separated to form the National Regulator for Compulsory Specifications (NRCS), a new organization also residing under the Department of Trade and Industry.[1]

The SABS offers commercial services in seven industry clusters:

Headquartered in Groenkloof, Pretoria, the SABS also maintains offices in Durban, Cape Town, Port Elizabeth and East London, and operates specialized facilities at Richards Bay, Secunda, Middelburg and Saldanha.

Initiatives

South African initiative on reusable sanitary products

Coordinated by the Department of Women, the Sanitary Dignity Framework was created to improve menstrual hygiene. It establishes a framework for a consistent approach to the provision of sanitary dignity in order to safeguard and restore the dignity of disadvantaged girls and women.[6] The SABS intended to standardise the production of washable, reusable sanitary towels in August 2019. The standard was published on 6 May 2020 and is intended to help meet the diverse requirements of women and girls in South Africa who require safe menstrual management.[7]

Declaration on Gender-Responsive Standards and Standards Development

In 2019, the SABS has signed the Declaration on Gender-Responsive Standards and Standards Development,[8] joined by more than 55 other countries, in an attempt to boost women's participation and representation in standardisation.[9] The declaration was adopted by the International organisation for standardisation (ISO) in 2019.[10]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "SABS - ABOUT SABS OVERVIEW". Retrieved 26 July 2016.
  2. ↑ "SABS Annual Report 2021/22" (PDF).
  3. ↑ "South African Bureau of Standards (SABS) | South African Government". www.gov.za. Retrieved 8 August 2022.
  4. ↑ "SABS". ISO. Retrieved 16 March 2023.
  5. ↑ "South Africa - Standards for Trade". www.trade.gov. Retrieved 16 March 2023.
  6. ↑ "Department of Women launches sanitary dignity programme in Umlazi, 3 May | South African Government". www.gov.za. Retrieved 16 March 2023.
  7. ↑ "UNFPA supports training of local social enterprises on the South African National Standards (SANS) 1812:2020 on washable, reusable sanitary towels". The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). 3 October 2020.
  8. ↑ "Declaration on Gender-Responsive Standards and Standards Development | UNECE". unece.org. Retrieved 21 March 2023.
  9. ↑ "South Africa: SA Commits to Empower Women in Standards Development". allAfrica.
  10. ↑ "UNECE gender declaration: one year on". ISO. Retrieved 21 March 2023.
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