South African companies face a growing challenge because compliance with South African Bureau of Standards (SABS) certification and South African National Standards (SANS) does not always align with EU regulatory requirements, notes International Organisation for Standardisation specialist World Wide Industrial & Engineering Systems (WWISE) MD Muhammad Ali.

Ali says many exporters incorrectly assume that compliance with local standards will automatically provide access to international markets, but it does not.

The issue is particularly relevant as regulatory enforcement intensifies across major markets. “In the EU, market surveillance authorities continue to remove unsafe or noncompliant products through the Safety Gate system, which recorded thousands of alerts and coordinated enforcement actions in 2025,” Ali says.

A key requirement for access to many EU markets is CE marking, which demonstrates compliance with EU health, safety and environmental requirements. Manufacturers are responsible for declaring conformity through technical documentation and, where required, assessment by notified bodies.

By contrast, the SABS Mark Scheme is a voluntary certification confirming compliance with SANS. While many SANS are aligned with ISO and/or International Electrotechnical Commission standards, others reflect local conditions, meaning SABS approval does not guarantee EU acceptance.

Ali says the challenge is not product quality, but regulatory alignment.

“South African products are often high quality. The challenge is that they are assessed against different legal and technical frameworks abroad,” he says.

This misalignment can have direct commercial consequences for exporters, with products potentially facing border rejections, delays, re-export costs and reputational damage if they do not meet EU requirements.

International Recognition

Ali says that internationally recognised standards and certification frameworks remain important in helping manufacturers access export markets.

“It is very important, owing to the fact that standards and certifications provide independent validation, that products and services are safe and meet quality standards for consumers,” he says.

He notes that standards provide consistency, while certification provides independent assurance that products comply with recognised requirements.

Accredited testing, inspection and certification services also support compliance with international product safety, environmental and supply-chain requirements. Ali notes that the South African National Accreditation System accredits testing bodies that operate in accordance with international standards such as ISO/IEC 17025, helping to ensure testing is conducted consistently and in line with recognised best practice.

He adds that ISO standards can help bridge the gap between domestic certification systems and international market expectations.

“ISO 9001 provides a universally recognised framework for consistency and process control. For exporters, it is often the minimum language of trust in international trade,” says Ali.

However, he stresses that domestic certification alone is not sufficient where regulatory systems differ.

“South African businesses cannot rely solely on domestic certification to compete globally. International markets operate on shared frameworks. Without alignment, market access is constrained,” Ali concludes.