South African Bureau of Standards

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

South African Bureau of Standards

Standards testing and accreditation overview
Formed	1 September 1945; 79 years ago (1945-09-01)[1]
Headquarters	Pretoria, South Africa 25°46′10.61″S 28°12′45.53″E
Employees	738[2]
Minister responsible	Ebrahim Patel, Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition
Standards testing and accreditation executives	Jodi Scholtz, Lead Administrator Dr Tshenge Demana, Co-Administrator
Parent department	Department of Trade, Industry and Competition
Key documents	Standards Act, 1945 Standards Act, 2008
Website	https://www.sabs.co.za/

Head Office of the South African Bureau of Standards in Pretoria.

Function

The SABS plays a critical role in ensuring the safety, quality, and reliability of the products and services in South Africa, and in promoting international trade through compliance with global standards.^[4][5]

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.^{[citation needed]}

Initiatives

South African initiative on reusable sanitary products

Coordinated by the Department of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities, the Sanitary Dignity Framework was created to improve menstrual hygiene. It establishes a framework for a consistent approach to the provision of sanitary dignity to safeguard and restore the dignity of disadvantaged girls and women.^[6] The SABS intended to standardize 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 hygiene menstrual management.^[7]

Declaration on Gender-Responsive Standards and Standards Development

In 2019, the South African Bureau of Standards (SABS) signed the Declaration on Gender-Responsive Standards and Standards Development,^[8] joining more than 55 other countries in an effort to enhance women's participation and representation in standardisation.^[9] The declaration was adopted by the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) in 2019.^[10]