SABS is South Africa’s national standards body, established by the Standards Act to develop, promote, and maintain South African National Standards (SANS). The organization provides standards development, product certification, testing services, and conformity assessment.

Cold Chain Relevance: SABS standards define the technical specifications for cold chain equipment and operations throughout South Africa. SANS 10147-2014 governs refrigeration system design and installation—the baseline for every cold room, refrigerated vehicle, and blast freezer in the country. SANS standards also cover insulated vehicle body construction, temperature monitoring instrument calibration, and food safety management systems. For cold chain operators, SABS certification demonstrates that equipment meets South African regulatory requirements and performs to documented specifications. The bureau’s testing services verify refrigeration unit performance, insulation R-values, and temperature recorder accuracy. When disputes arise about equipment performance or product temperature compliance, SABS standards provide the authoritative reference point. Operators specifying new equipment or validating existing systems rely on SABS documentation to ensure cold chain integrity.