From the 1st of December 2020, it will be a SIZA requirement for a business registered as one legal entity on the MySIZA Platform to include all production units as part of the SIZA assessment programme. The SIZA member has the responsibility to declare all production units (PUCs and PHCs) that are required to form part of the SIZA multi-site assessment and register these on MySIZA correctly.
What will happen during an audit?
When a SIZA member undergoes a SIZA third-party audit, all sections of the business operating under that business name (legal entity or trade name) and that is managed under one centralised management system, will form part of the audit. All PUCs, PHCs and/or production sections that formed part of the audit will be listed and included in the audit report and be covered by the Audit Completion Letter. In cases where businesses knowingly exclude production units without SIZA’s knowledge, the business risks the rejection of the audit report from SIZA and buyers. SIZA will not be liable or responsible in such a case.
When a business operates another business under the same trade name (or legal entity) but this business has a different management system/team, it is recommended that such a business complies to the requirements of the SIZA programme. The business should register this entity as a separate business on MySIZA and undergo a separate third-party audit. This is to protect the business’ integrity and ensure truthful representation of a business operating under one entity/trade name.
What happens with processing facilities, such as packhouses?
It will also be expected of all processing facilities and pack houses to ensure full compliance throughout their supply chain. The expectation is that all facilities that supply to the pack house for example, must have a valid SIZA audit or any other acceptable compliance audit in place to allow for transparency and credibility of the supply-chain. As SIZA realises this process can take time, the expectation is for all facilities to comply by the 1st of April 2023. This provides a reasonable cycle for all existing and prospective businesses to plan and implement the necessary requirements before their next audit.
If you have any questions in this regard, please feel free to contact Retha Louw (retha@siza.co.za) or Werner van Dyk (werner@siza.co.za) at the SIZA office Tel (021) 852 8184.
