Clarification on SABS Accreditation Status

We would like to provide clarity regarding recent media reports suggesting that the South African Bureau of Standards (SABS) has lost all its accreditations.

SABS holds multiple accreditations across various conformity assessment services for products and systems.

The only area affected by a temporary and partial suspension of accreditation is the cement scope (SANS 50197).

This suspension, which was only three months, specifically impacted our cement manufacturing clients but had minimal effect on the continuation of certification activities within this scope.

All identified non-conformances were successfully addressed and cleared by December 2024. However, due to the cyberattack incident in November 2024, the SABS requested an extension from South African National Accreditation System (SANAS) , as the records to verify the implemented corrective actions were being retrieved. As a result, an extension was granted and is valid until April 2025.

We assure our clients and stakeholders that all other accreditations remain valid and unaffected. This means that our numerous Product Certification Schemes, including the SABS Mark Scheme (SABS Approved Mark), continue to maintain their accreditation. Additionally, our Systems Certification Schemes and Inspection Schemes remain fully accredited and continue to operate without any impact.        

We sincerely appreciate your ongoing trust and support of SABS as your quality assurance service provider.

For further information, please contact our Customer Engagement team at 012 428 7911 or 0861 27 7227, or email [email protected].