The South African Bureau of Standards (SABS) is an important body in maintaining quality control. The SABS provides a comprehensive framework for ensuring that products and services meet minimum standards of quality. This benefits consumers as well as businesses, by providing assurance that goods and services are fit for purpose and will perform as expected. In addition to setting standards, the SABS also tests products and issues certificates of compliance.
The SABS professionals also represent South Africa in the development of international standards in cooperation with organizations like the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC).
As one of the founding members of the ISO, South Africa has a long history of involvement in these groups.
The regional secretariat of the standardizing body for the 14-nation Southern African Development Community is based at the SABS (SADCSTAN).
The SABS offers commercial testing, certification, consignment inspection, and other services, mostly to the industrial sector.
The SABS also awards the SABS Mark of Approval, a mark that is recognized internationally, in addition to doing system certifications and product testing that must correspond to South African National Standards (SANS
