Founded in 1951, SAIRAC is South Africa’s premier professional body for refrigeration and air conditioning engineers, technicians, and contractors. The organization has regional centres in Cape Town, Port Elizabeth, Johannesburg, and Durban. SAIRAC provides technical training, professional development, industry standards, technical talks, and hosts the FRIGAIR exhibition every three years.

Cold Chain Relevance: SAIRAC sits at the technical heart of South Africa’s cold chain infrastructure. Every refrigerated vehicle, cold room, blast freezer, and temperature-controlled facility depends on refrigeration systems designed, installed, and maintained by SAIRAC-affiliated professionals. The institute’s training programs ensure technicians understand refrigerant handling (including F-gas regulations and the transition to low-GWP refrigerants), compressor systems, evaporator sizing, and the altitude corrections essential for equipment operating on the Highveld at 1,500+ metres. For cold chain operators, SAIRAC membership provides access to qualified contractors, equipment specifications tailored to South African conditions, and the technical knowledge required to maintain temperature integrity throughout the chain. The FRIGAIR exhibition serves as the primary networking and procurement event for refrigeration equipment in Southern Africa.