September 2023

In a world where accountability and ethical practices are gaining priority, it is heartening to witness producers not merely settling for the status quo. The spotlight is on those who are not content with minimum compliance but are embracing a proactive approach, championing a best practice mindset.

There has been some confusion from some businesses on whether seasonal workers must be paid for public holidays, even if they do not work on the public holiday. In terms of labour legislation, all employees have the same rights, unless explicitly stated otherwise.

A request was made to review the current SIZA Accommodation Guideline for Agriculture. SIZA engaged an impartial consultant to facilitate an equitable, unbiased, and dependable review process.

As per SIZA’s audit process and methodology, the SIZA Social and Environmental Standard are reviewed every 3-year cycle. This regular review-cycle is also required by global markets and during this process it provides an opportunity for SIZA and the South African industry to ensure that the standards are aligned with the market requirements producers are expected to supply to.

Many businesses might consider keeping log of working hours to be time-consuming and a waste of time. However, this practice should rather be embraced, as it offers several benefits for employers and should be part of every producer and business’ routine.

Work is deemed continuous unless it is interrupted by a meal interval.

What does it mean to have a South African standard that is built on the principles of continuous improvement?

During the last several months, various producers indicated that the language used on the audit day between the auditor, producer and employees caused frustration and difficulties on the day.

Many producers request information on how they schedule their SIZA third-party audits. The first step is to ensure you plan when your next audit needs to take place, and then contact all the recognised audit firms to get tentative quotes and dates, before deciding on which firm to use.

A Temporary Employment Service is a contractor who supplies workers to farms and packhouses, normally during peak season as seasonal labour. Temporary Employment Services are also sometimes known as labour brokers or labour providers.