General

Effective communication is evident within the auditor’s capacity to appropriately read and respond to verbal and non-verbal cues, as well as to recognise how their own non-verbal cues may affect the atmosphere of the audit.

Confidentiality during the audit process begins with providing interviewees with clear assurance that concerns can be raised without fear of retribution and that any information shared will remain unattributed.

A TES provider may qualify for exclusion from a supplier’s SIZA Social Audit sample where it has demonstrated a sustained history of compliance and meets the applicable SIZA requirements. As of 1 September 2026, changes have been implemented to the TES Due Diligence Programme.

When determining risk, auditors consider factors such as the severity, the likelihood of recurrence, and the extent and potential impact of an issue. Two findings may appear similar on paper but present very different levels of risk depending on the circumstances.

The proceedings of a third-party audit rarely remain confined to the audit day itself – instead often extending well beyond the farm gate to shape the perceptions of suppliers who have been audited and those that are yet to be audited.

SIZA celebrates ten years as an independent organisation at a celebration event on 19 August 2026. However, the real story behind the milestone is not simply the growth of an organisation. It is the story of a South African agricultural industry that recognised, long before many of today’s sustainability requirements became mainstream, that it needed to take responsibility for its practices.

One of the strongest messages to emerge from the recent SIZA Conference in South Africa was that compliance can no longer be viewed simply as a requirement for market access. In an increasingly complex global agricultural environment, compliance is becoming a critical tool for building resilient businesses, trusted supply chains, and sustainable agricultural systems.

Housing – is the producer responsible for unmade beds, dirty dishes, or other hygiene matters inside an occupant’s house?  If a business offers accommodation to its workers, certain legislative requirements are applicable to that business, and also certain compliance criteria will be measured. The “state of the occupants living arrangements” is not regulated by law,… Continue reading SIZA FAQs

Agribusinesses operate in a fast-paced and dynamic environment, and recordkeeping and traceability of production inputs and outputs are arguably the most critical factors for driving continuous improvement throughout the supply chain. SIZA has recognised retailers’ and buyers’ need for a cost-effective and streamlined monitoring programme to evaluate and monitor their supply chains and, therefore has… Continue reading The SIZA Digital Recordkeeping Programme Empowers Buyers to Monitor their Supply Chains

Within the agricultural space, it’s important to understand how different tools and programmes relate to one another. The SHERPA online management system, developed by Blue North Sustainability, is a valuable capacity-building tool focused on supporting any agriculture or food businesses in the implementation of sustainability strategies that reflect their unique contexts, priorities, and capacities. Clients… Continue reading People are always asking: why should I do both SIZA compliance and use the SHERPA tool?

As SIZA’s methodology requires the Standards to be reviewed every 3 years, the time has come for another review of the SIZA Social and Environmental Standard in 2023. SIZA will follow a thorough process to ensure the review process is deemed rigorous and reliable. This will include a review by a technical work group (compiled… Continue reading SIZA Standard Review Process