International recognition of South Africa’s accredited testing, inspection, certification and verification results is helping local companies to export goods and services under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Agreement by reducing technical barriers to trade, lowering compliance costs and limiting the need for duplicate testing and certification across borders.

National accreditation body the South African National Accreditation System (SANAS) executive: accreditation Mpho Phaloane says SANAS supports South African companies aiming to export under the AfCFTA Agreement through internationally recognised accreditation that helps to demonstrate conformity and compliance.

SANAS independently evaluates and verifies the competence of conformity assessment bodies (CABs). It is internationally recognised as a signatory to Global Accreditation Cooperation Incorporated Mutual Recognition Arrangements.

Phaloane says this is particularly important in the context of the AfCFTA Agreement, which aims to boost intra-African trade and strengthen Africa’s position in global trade.

Government localisation and industrialisation initiatives are also contributing to demand for accredited conformity assessment services. Phaloane notes that these initiatives aim to create jobs, increase exports and improve market access for local producers, stimulating economic growth in South Africa.

Demand

“Demand for accreditation services has grown by between 4.5% and 5% over the past five years, with medical testing laboratories recording the strongest growth, followed by chemical and mechanical testing laboratories and inspection bodies,” he says.

Sustainability-related requirements are also shaping accreditation activities. SANAS has established and implemented an accreditation scheme for CABs involved in validation and verification activities related to climate-change initiatives and greenhouse-gas emissions claims. The scheme applies to sectors such as construction, mining and energy production.

Phaloane adds that the organisation is noticing new applicants and accredited CABs applying for extensions to their scopes to cover emerging areas: “This requires SANAS to identify and train technical experts and continuously develop accreditation programmes that meet industry and regulatory requirements.”

Effects of Technology

Technological developments are also influencing accreditation requirements.

“For every field of accreditation, SANAS has established specialist technical committees comprising industry and regulatory experts to guide the organisation on developments within their respective sectors and ensure [that] accreditation remains technically and technologically valid,” Phaloane says.

He emphasises that like any new technology used to produce results, AI-driven systems must be validated and verified for accuracy.

SANAS has also established and implemented an accreditation scheme focused on improving information security management systems in line with the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) and the ISO/IEC 27001 Information Security Management Systems standard. According to Phaloane, the scheme includes requirements for assessing and treating information security risks tailored to organisational needs, helping to mitigate cybersecurity threats.

As new requirements emerge in areas such as hydrogen technologies, electric vehicles and sustainable supply chains, the organisation is participating in broader technical infrastructure initiatives. Phaloane notes that SANAS, as an entity of the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition, forms part of South Africa’s technical infrastructure alongside the South African Bureau of Standards, the National Metrology Institute of South Africa and the National Regulator for Compulsory Specifications.

“The department has developed initiatives, such as master plans, to address emerging local and global economic and environmental demands, with SANAS participating in those programmes,” he concludes.