STANDARDS EXPLAINED
The same logic applies to ISO 27001, ISO 14001, ISO 45001 and every other management system standard: here’s what the prefixes and dates actually mean.
If you have researched ISO certification, you have probably encountered a confusing array of labels: ISO 9001, SANS 9001, EN ISO 9001, BS EN ISO 9001. They look different, they are sold differently, and it is easy to assume they are different standards. They are not.
Here is what is actually going on.
ISO writes the standard. National bodies republish it.
ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) develops and publishes international standards. Every country has a designated national standards body that is a formal ISO member: SABS in South Africa, BSI in the UK, DIN in Germany. Each member holds a licence to adopt ISO standards and sell them within their territory under a local designation.
When SABS adopts ISO 9001, it becomes SANS 9001. When European bodies adopt it, it becomes EN ISO 9001. When BSI republishes the European version for the UK market, it becomes BS EN ISO 9001. The prefix changes. The requirements do not.
| The same standard, four labels: ISO 9001:2015 – the original international standard SANS/ISO 9001:2015 – identical adoption for South Africa, published by Standards South Africa (a division of SABS)EN ISO 9001:2015 – identical adoption endorsed across EuropeBS EN ISO 9001:2015 – the same EN ISO document, republished by BSI for the UK market |
Why do the dates sometimes differ?
You may notice that a nationally adopted version carries a different year from its ISO equivalent, for example, a SANS or BS EN ISO document dated a year or two after the ISO original. This does not indicate a newer edition or updated requirements.
The date on a nationally adopted standard reflects when that national body published its local version, not when ISO published the original. The adoption process takes time: committee review, local registration, and publication all add months. In some cases the only material change from one local edition to the next is an updated cover page. The technical content remains identical to the ISO version it references.
When you see a later date on a SANS or EN ISO document, it simply means that is when the national body got around to publishing it and not that anything substantively changed.
Why do they republish rather than just point to ISO?
Revenue. National standards bodies hold a licence from ISO to publish and sell the locally adopted version within their territory. It is a commercial arrangement: BSI, SABS, and their equivalents generate revenue from the sale of these documents, which is part of why a separately branded version exists for each market.
Law and regulation. South African legislation can only reference SANS standards, not ISO documents directly. Republishing as SANS gives regulators and procurement bodies the legal mechanism to formally require compliance within a South African context.
What this means for your certification
- One audit, one certificate. Certifying to ISO 9001:2015 simultaneously satisfies SANS 9001:2015. You do not need separate certifications for each label.
- The version that counts is the one published by ISO. Independent accredited certification bodies, those that are not themselves national standards bodies such as BSI or SABS, always certify against the current standard as published by ISO and recognised under the IAF (International Accreditation Forum) multilateral agreement. This is the version your clients and trading partners worldwide will recognise, regardless of what a local body has published under its own label.
- Accreditation is what makes a certificate credible. The prefix on the standard is not what validates your certification; the accreditation of the certification body is. In South Africa, that means SANAS. Internationally, bodies such as UKAS (UK) or DAkkS (Germany) play the same role. Certificates issued under the IAF multilateral agreement carry mutual recognition across more than 90 countries.
| Sancert holds dual accreditation under both SANAS and UKAS – which means your certificate carries weight whether you are trading locally or internationally. |
Ready to get certified? Contact Sancert for a no-obligation scoping discussion at www.sancert.co.za