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How to get ISO certification in South Africa

ISO standards such as ISO 9001 (quality) are certified by independent certification bodies, not by the buyer. In South Africa SANAS is the national accreditation body, and SABS is one certification body. We could not open ISO's own pages (they refused our reader), so this guide sticks to what SABS and SANAS publish.

Who it is forBusinesses that want a management-system certificate (quality, safety, environment) to win bids
What it costsQuoted by the certification body from audit time and scope. We could not confirm any amounts.
How long it takesWe could not confirm a timeline. SABS describes an initial certification followed by two surveillance audits and a recertification audit.
Last checked9 November 2026

The steps, in order

How to get started

  1. Choose the standard the buyers in your market ask for (often ISO 9001 for quality). SABS is one body that certifies management systems; SANAS lists the accredited ones.
  2. Check your chosen body on SANAS: its website has an Accredited Search and a Conformity Assessment Bodies section. Make sure the body is accredited for the standard you want.
  3. Apply to the body. SABS's process: enquiry, application, application review (scope, sites, audit time), audits, a documented certification decision, then two surveillance audits and a recertification audit.
  4. Keep the system running between audits. Certification can be declined or lost for reasons such as missing information, unpaid fees or failing the standard.

Have these ready

Documents and information

  • Company registration and the sites and scope you want certified.
  • Your documented management system (SABS says missing information is a reason to decline an application).
  • A completed application with the body you chose.

Be realistic

What to expect

A certificate only helps if the body is accredited. SANAS also publishes a page on fraudulent certificates and reports.

Watch out for scams. Our advice, not an official warning: be wary of anyone offering an ISO certificate without an audit. Check the body's accreditation on SANAS before paying.
What we could not confirm. What ISO itself says about certification (its site blocked our reader). Fees, timelines and the full list of accredited certification bodies (use SANAS's accredited search). Standards other than ISO 9001.

Official pages

Start at the source

SANAS (South African National Accreditation System) ↗SABS: get certified ↗ISO: certification ↗

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