SABS testing and certification for manufacturers
What the SABS tests and certifies for South African manufacturers, from SANS standards to PPE, and how to record the fees and file the certificates.
By Achekam · · 4 min read · For Manufacturing businesses in South Africa
For a South African manufacturer, the SABS mark can open doors that a good product alone cannot. Large retailers, mining houses and government buyers often want evidence that a product, or the system that made it, has been checked against a recognised standard. And for some products, such as safety equipment, the market expects it.
Getting there costs money and paperwork: applications, audits, laboratory tests, annual fees, and certificates that expire. A factory that treats those costs as scattered sundries, and keeps the certificates in whoever's e-mail they arrived in, will struggle to say what certification costs it each year or to produce the current certificate when a buyer asks. This article sets out what the South African Bureau of Standards does for manufacturers and how to keep the money and the documents in order.
The standards behind the mark
The SABS says it develops and maintains over 7,000 South African National Standards, known as SANS, which define safety, performance and quality requirements for products and services. It adds that industry experts, government bodies and organisations can take part in its technical committees.
That second point is worth more attention than most manufacturers give it. The committees shape the standards that your products will be measured against. A manufacturer in a specialised field, such as electrical fittings, building products or protective equipment, can follow or contribute to the work that will affect it rather than discovering a revised standard after the fact.
Three kinds of SABS work
Management system certification
The SABS certifies management systems such as ISO 9001 for quality, 14001 for environmental management and 45001 for occupational health and safety. These certify how the business runs, not a particular product. A manufacturer usually pursues them when customers ask, or as a way to make its own processes more disciplined.
Product certification and testing
The SABS also certifies products against SABS standards, and provides laboratory testing of products, materials and components. The distinction matters for budgeting. Testing is often a one-off or periodic cost tied to a product launch or a change of design. Product certification is usually ongoing, with audits and fees that recur.
Two specialist areas
Personal protective equipment. The SABS describes itself as a testing and certification body for PPE in South Africa, checking that safety equipment sold in the market meets the applicable SANS standards. A manufacturer of boots, gloves, helmets or high-visibility clothing will meet this early.
Medical devices. The SABS offers SANS 13485 certification, a quality management system standard for organisations involved in the design, development, production, installation and servicing of medical devices and related services. A factory moving from general products into medical supplies should expect this to become part of its customers' requirements.
Planning the work
Before applying for anything, list what each product and each customer actually requires:
| Product or customer | Standard or certification asked for | Type | Recurring? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Example: safety boots | The applicable SANS standard | Product testing and certification | Yes |
| Example: retail chain supplier pack | ISO 9001 | Management system | Yes |
| Example: new component | Laboratory test report | Testing | When the design changes |
Fill it in for your own range. It becomes the basis for the certification budget and for the filing structure below.
Recording SABS fees with input VAT
Certification costs belong in their own expense account, not buried in general expenses or in the cost of a single product. A separate account makes the annual cost visible and helps when pricing the products that carry the mark. Factory expense accounts covers how to arrange accounts so costs like these stand out.
In Achekam, record each invoice from the SABS, a testing laboratory or a consultant as a supplier bill, line by line with VAT. A South African business's supplier bills take 15% or 0% VAT per line, and bills post input VAT to the ledger, so the VAT on a standard-rated fee can be claimed through your normal return. A bill without a purchase order waits for approval before it posts, which gives someone the chance to confirm the fee is expected. Bills can be paid in full or in parts from a chosen bank account, which suits deposits and staged audit fees. Input VAT on a manufacturer's purchases explains what you need on the supplier's invoice to claim it.
Keeping the current certificate where staff can find it
The question a buyer asks is always "send us your current certificate", and the danger is sending last year's. Document Centre is a folder-based store where you upload files or whole folders, then preview, download, rename, move, tag, archive and search them. When a renewed certificate arrives, upload it as a new version of the existing document: Document Centre keeps the earlier ones, so the history is there, but the version people open is the current one.
A simple structure:
- A folder per certification or product family.
- Inside each, the certificate, the latest audit or test report, and correspondence.
- Tags for the standard, such as the SANS number, and the expiry year.
- A search for next year's expiry tag at the start of each quarter, so renewals start in time.
Archive certificates for products you no longer make rather than deleting them: a claim about an old product can arrive years later, and the certificate in force at the time is part of your answer.
Start with the SABS
The South African Bureau of Standards' website describes its standards, certification and testing services. Fill in the planning table for your top products, ask your three largest customers what they require, and set up the certificate folders before the next audit.
General guidance only, not advice on your own circumstances. Tax and payroll rules change: check the current position with the authority or your adviser.
