Standardization officially saw the light of day in South Africa a hundred years ago, when gold was discovered and mines were established on the Witwatersrand.  It soon became evident that standardization was a vital factor particularly in the safe and economic operation of deep level mines.  And so South Africa’s journey towards Quality began in 1909 with the establishment of a co-ordinating body known as the Committee for the Standardization of South African materials.

 

In 1945 The South African Bureau of Standards is established by an Act of Parliament, Standards Act, 1945 (Act 24 of 1945) and three years later the SABS Mark Scheme introduced.

 

1993 - SAQI is born

1992 marks the true beginning of the Quality journey that still goes on today. Parliament promulgates the revised Standards Act granting responsibility for Standards and Quality to the South African Bureau of Standards, Standards Act, 1993 (Act 29 of 1993).  The Minister of Trade and Industry delegates responsibility for Quality to the South African Quality Institute (SAQI) as the umbrella body for Quality in South Africa.  In 1996 The Quality Edge is launched as the national monthly supplement on issues of Quality and its publication has continued uninterrupted to this day.  

 

In 2004 SAQI, as an agency of the dti and a member of the Council of Trade and Industry Institutions (COTII) spent the next four years helping the dti to establish and develop quality principles for small business and emerging entrepreneurs.

 

Today in 2010 the footprint of Quality SA continues to grow with associations in the UK, China, the US, Canada, NZ, Southern Africa and Latin America.  However SAQI’s principal work right now is in forging ahead with awareness of Quality for the FIFA World cup in 2010. With the opening ceremony scheduled for 10 June 2010 and millions of eyes on South Africa we have no time to waste. And it’s going to take all South Africans working together for quality to pull it off.

SAQI's Vision

To be a driver of Quality contributing towards the global competitiveness of the South African economy and the region as a whole.

SAQI's Mission is to

• Play a leading role in establishing and sustaining a National Quality Infrastructure that enhances the competitiveness of the South African dual economic system;
• Create a National awareness of Quality to help improve the Quality of life of all South Africans particularly in those sectors that do not benefit from legislated Quality;
• Unify the Quality profession into a Body of Knowledge that is recognised as the national benchmark of Quality in all fields of human endeavour;
• Represent SA Quality abroad and help with the improvement of Africa’s Quality Infrastructure.

About SAQI

• SAQI is the national body that co-ordinates the Quality effort in South Africa. It was registered in 1993 as a section 21 company, not for gain.
• SAQI acts as a global go-between to facilitate business connections, two-way trade and exchange of useful information for all South Africans and SAQI members in particular.
• SAQI acts as a catalyst and a promoter in bringing Quality events within reach of the South African public.
• SAQI membership is open to all organisations and associates that are serious about Quality; the cost of the membership varies according to the number of employees in the organisation.
• SAQI is governed by a Board of Directors who meet regularly to discuss the Institute’s progress and keep their finger on the Quality pulse both in South Africa and abroad and to translate this into quality in action.  The everyday running of the Institute is managed by a Managing Director and an Operations Manager, supported by the Executive Team of the Board. 

SAQI’s approach to Quality

At SAQI we believe the Quality approach is the foundation for South Africa’s economic success and a better quality of life for all our people. Our priority is to promote Quality awareness in all South Africans and to influence the general public to expect quality in products and services and to spontaneously include quality in all their activities.

South African Quality in a Nutshell

The word quality brings to mind terms such as inspection, process control, auditing, standards and ISO 9001. While quality indeed includes these principles, it also includes, for example, management systems and continuous improvement, customer satisfaction and market focus, teamwork and the well-being of employees.

These principles are all critical to success, whether in health care, education, manufacturing, the service industry or the public sector. Quality is the critical success factor in competitiveness, especially when doing business internationally. So where do South African companies look for direction in establishing and maintaining Quality principles in their organisations? Is there an umbrella body that co-ordinates the national quality effort under one roof? The answer is "yes": the South African Quality Institute (SAQI).

SAQI is committed to promoting quality in all fields of human endeavour by providing Quality awareness, leadership principles, products and systems. We support business and industry as well as emerging entrepreneurs, healthcare and education.

Quality in South Africa today is facing a new and exciting future. It will move away from the hands of the quality specialists to the public domain of operators, managers, entrepreneurs and educators. Consumers will also play an influential role. As traditional trade barriers fall, they are replaced by internationally recognised quality systems such as ISO 9001 certification and environmental management systems (ISO 14001). As a result quality becomes not only a business imperative but an essential life skill that is as fundamental to the success of individuals and companies as literacy and numeracy.

SAQI's mission is to play a leading role in establishing and sustaining a national quality infrastructure that serves our economic system and make all South African trade competitive locally and internationally.