SABS commemorates World Standards Day
October 2022
News

SABS Standards Approval Committee. Left to right: Phollen Murivhula, Matlhale Peter, Mary-Jane Phasha, Dr Sadhvir Bissoon, Dikgang Ramatlo, Mogomotsi Motaung.
World Standards Day is observed every year on 14 October to celebrate the work of the experts around the world that contribute to the development and maintenance of voluntary technical publications, or standards. In South Africa, the responsibility for the development and maintenance of South African National Standards (SANS) rests with the Standards Division of the South African Bureau of Standards (SABS).
The SABS maintains over 8144 standards and manages approximately 200 technical committees. More than 1700 participants are involved in various technical committees and comprise industry bodies, companies, academics, policy makers, regulators, consumer groups, and other stakeholders.
“World Standards Day is an opportunity for the SABS to recognise the dedication and active participation of our technical experts in South Africa who are members of SABS technical committees and who contribute to the critical work of developing national and international standards. It is also a day to appreciate the contribution of the staff in the Standards Division who provide the governance, project management, secretarial, and support portfolios to enable an efficient ecosystem of developing standards. National standards provide specifications and requirements that improve the quality of goods and services, thereby contributing to the quality of life for South Africans, and forming the basis for legislation and regulations. The theme for 2022 is a shared vision for a better world and it encapsulates the potential of national standards to make the world a better place,” explained Dr Sadhvir Bissoon, SABS divisional head of standards.
Dr Bissoon also oversees the Standards Approval Committee (SAC), which is the internal governance structure for the development and maintenance of South African National Standards. The process of developing and maintaining national standards is guided by the SABS National Norm which sets out the governance procedures for the development and maintenance of national standards.
Further reading:
RS South Africa shapes future engineering talent
RS South Africa
News
RS South Africa is demonstrating that nurturing future engineers goes beyond traditional classrooms or competitions. On STEM Day, the company shone a light on the full spectrum of its educational initiatives.
Read more...
ABB and Compu-Power bring high-efficiency UPS innovation to IS3 X-Change 2025
News
ABB recently participated in the 31st annual IS
3X-Change 2025 in Cape Town, alongside its long-standing channel partner Compu-Power.
Read more...
Meta and partners announce completion of 2Africa subsea cable system
News
Meta, in partnership with leading global and regional telecommunications companies, has announced the completion and activation of the core 2Africa subsea cable system. This marks a historic milestone in digital infrastructure, establishing what the world’s longest open-access subsea cable system.
Read more...
RS South Africa retains Level 2 B-BBEE status
RS South Africa
News
RS South Africa has once again achieved Level 2 B-BBEE verification.
Read more...
SEW-EURODRIVE unveils world class facility in Gqeberha
News
In a landmark event in the Eastern Cape attended by key customers and industry leaders, SEW-EURODRIVE officially opened its expanded state-of-the-art facility in Gqeberha, marking a major milestone in its strategy to strengthen regional support and deepen its footprint in the region.
Read more...
Africa’s brightest young battery innovators
Schneider Electric South Africa
News
Schneider Electric and Enactus, the international NGO dedicated to inspiring students through entrepreneurial action, have announced the winners of the 2025 Energy Transition Battery Innovation Challenge, funded by the Schneider Electric Foundation. It empowers young innovators to design battery solutions addressing the region’s most pressing energy challenges.
Read more...
Africa’s strategic role in powering the global clean energy future
News
The 2026 Africa Energy Indaba is to spotlight Africa’s mineral wealth, industrialisation potential and the urgent need for sustainable value chain development.
Read more...
Crash reconstruction tests advance vehicle safety research
News
The University of KwaZulu-Natal’s Scientific Multidisciplinary Advanced Research Technologies (SMART) Lab recently participated in a series of collaborative crash reconstruction tests held at the Toyota Test Track.
Read more...
Siemens and HD Hyundai to accelerate revitalisation of USA shipbuilding
News
Siemens Digital Industries Software has signed a memorandum of understanding with HD Hyundai to drive the revitalisation and modernisation of the commercial shipbuilding industry in the USA.
Read more...
Accelerating Africa’s smart manufacturing future
News
Automation Day, a dedicated one-day conference within the Manufacturing Indaba 2026, will bring together industry leaders, innovators and policymakers for an in-depth exploration of how automation is reshaping Africa’s manufacturing landscape.
Read more...