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The South African Bureau of Standards (SABS) has announced that from November 1, 2022, manufacturers of non-telecommunication electronic and electrical equipment can apply for a SABS electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) certificate of compliance (CoC) by using any laboratory accredited by the International Laboratories Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC).

The SABS has been providing SABS EMC CoCs since 2017, as mandated by the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA). These certificates are required for any non-telecommunication electronic product entering the South African market.

Since 2017, SABS EMC CoCs were only offered to manufacturers that had products tested at SABS-affiliated laboratories (SABS A-Labs). While the SABS A-Lab programme will continue, manufacturers now have the option of having their products tested at any ILAC-accredited laboratory.

“A SABS EMC CoC can only be issued if a product has been tested and complies with the EMC standards that are referenced in the ICASA regulations. By introducing the new scheme, established manufacturers and new entrants will have more opportunities to participate in the industry, as there are thousands of ILAC laboratories that can test to the standards that are referenced in the ICASA EMC list of regulatory standards,” explains Thabo Sepuru, divisional head of SABS Laboratories.

Sepuru encourages ILAC-accredited laboratories to join the SABS A-Lab programme so that manufacturers can enjoy faster turnaround times and reduced certification fees. “The SABS A-Lab programme allows the SABS to enter into agreements with accredited local and international laboratories based on the SABS conducting inspections or oversight visits to manufacturers, testing points and sampling of products as part of the continuous verification process,” Sepuru adds.

“As most of the verification processes would be complete, the SABS can issue an EMC CoC in 30 days for applications that have products tested at a SABS A-Lab, compared to a 90-day turnaround time for applications that use test reports from an ILAC laboratory.”

Laboratories that are part of the SABS A-lab scheme pay an annual fee, which includes audits and inspections by the SABS. Every application for a SABS EMC CoC will incur a maximum application fee of R16 000 or R17 000 depending on the laboratory used.

The fee structure, the online application forms, and additional information are available on the SABS website.