Record number of national standards published in 2021
May 2022
News
The South African Bureau of Standards (SABS) published 414 national standards in the financial year that ended 31 March 2021, comprising 127 new standards as well as adopted, amended and/or revised ones. This record number for a one-year period compares with the 359 national standards published in 2020 and 241 in 2019.
Information contained in South African National Standards (SANS) are fundamental to the economic and industrial optimisation of the country, according to SABS. With approximately 7400 SANS available, South African organisations have access to technical specifications on almost every product, service and management system in the South African market.
SANS are developed and published through technical committees constituting members of the public including industry stakeholders, academics, students, regulators and any interested person. Technical committees are run by an elected chairperson and there is no financial or monetary gain for any member.
“The time it takes to develop and publish each standard varies, as every new or amended standard requires public participation. Technical committees take into account every comment or concern raised in the participation process, and in some cases further amendments and consultations with the public are required before a SANS can be concluded and published,” explains Sadhvir Bisson, divisional head of SABS standards.
Bisson attributes the record number of SANS published in 2021 to better-functioning technical committees and committed members, increased participation from regulators and government departments, and efficiencies from virtual platforms as well as within the SABS.
SANS evolve over the years to reflect technological and regulatory changes, and it is imperative that all organisations become familiar with, apply for and comply with these standards, as well as taking the next step to ensure that compliance is verified through an independent body.
Institutions that require assistance with identifying relevant SANS can contact the SABS. The bureau can also provide customised training to create awareness and understanding of the collection of standards pertaining to an organisation. SANS are available via the SABS webstore at https://store.sabs.co.za.
Further reading:
RX Africa and Messe Muenchen India join forces to strengthen business platforms in Africa
RX Africa
News
Messe Muenchen India has announced a strategic partnership with RX Africa to strengthen the scale, reach and market impact of its premier co-located trade fairs, analytica Lab Africa and IFAT Africa, ahead of their 2027 editions.
Read more...
John Thompson secures order for bagasse-fired boiler
News
John Thompson, a division of ACTOM, has secured an order for a 320 t/h bagasse-fired boiler for what is set to become the world’s largest greenfield sugar mill development in Indonesia.
Read more...
From the editor's desk: Consistently not stupid
Technews Publishing (SA Instrumentation & Control)
News
Over the years I’ve followed Charlie Munger. He’s considered to be one of the greatest investors and thinkers on decision making in the past century, and spent six decades as Warren Buffett’s business
...
Read more...
South Africa’s space balls
Editor's Choice News
South African engineers are preparing to take low-frequency radio astronomy to the Moon with three locally developed B.A.L.L.S. spheres aboard China’s Chang’e-8 mission. This could pave the way for a 55-antenna lunar array and marks another step in the country’s growing space engineering capability.
Read more...
RS South Africa announces 2026 Student Project Fund winners
RS South Africa
News
RS South Africa has awarded 13 engineering students with R10?000 worth of products each through its 2026 Student Project Fund, supporting projects spanning renewable energy, robotics, warehouse automation and STEM education.
Read more...
Certified gas meter module
News
Sensirion’s next-generation SGM5304 gas meter module has completed certification to the harmonised EN 17526 standard, simplifying MID approval and speeding customers’ route to market.
Read more...
Trafo Power Solutions expands market share
News
Trafo Power Solutions is expanding its market share in mining, industrial, infrastructure, data centre and renewable energy applications through technical expertise, application-specific engineering and responsive customer support.
Read more...
Engineering solutions to keep coal power plants viable in a renewables-driven grid
News
Steinmüller Africa showcased engineering solutions at Enlit Africa 2026 that let existing coal-fired power stations run efficiently at much lower loads, helping the grid absorb a growing share of variable renewable energy.
Read more...
Trafo Power Solutions returns to Electra Mining Africa
News
Trafo Power Solutions returns to Electra Mining Africa 2026 with a portfolio that has expanded well beyond dry-type transformers into fully engineered electrical power solutions for mining, industrial and infrastructure operations across Africa.
Read more...
SAIMC INSPIRE conference extends abstract submission deadline
SAIMC
SAIMC News
Following requests from our sponsors, the SAIMC INSPIRE conference has officially extended the abstract submission deadline to 28 August 2026.
Read more...
printer friendly version