Audit

The auditor’s role is to understand the climate context in which a business operates, identify where climate-related conditions may increase existing risks, and assess whether those risks are being effectively managed and whether appropriate measures are in place to strengthen resilience.

An environmental audit is not the end of the environmental management process. It provides a point-in-time assessment of how effectively a business identifies and manages environmental risks, while also highlighting areas for improvement.

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.

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.

At SIZA, we often see that the most successful audits are not necessarily those conducted on the largest or most structured farms, but those where management pays attention to the basics every day. Audit findings are frequently linked to simple administrative gaps rather than major compliance failures. One of the areas that continues to receive… Continue reading Getting Audit-Ready: Small Actions That Make a Big Difference

The credibility of the SIZA programme is built on the strength and integrity of its third-party audit approach. Central to this is the competency of the audit firms responsible for conducting Social (Ethical) and Environmental audits. These firms play a critical role in ensuring that audit outcomes accurately reflect on-the-ground practices, while meeting both local… Continue reading Ensuring Audit Excellence: How SIZA assures stakeholders that Audit firms and Auditors maintain Competency and Credibility

In the agricultural sector, working beyond standard hours is often unavoidable, especially during peak periods or when essential tasks cannot be delayed. Sundays, in particular, may require attention to critical operations such as irrigation, livestock care, or equipment monitoring. While this is part of the reality of farming, it is important for employers to understand… Continue reading Overtime on a Sunday in Agriculture: Getting the Wages Calculation Right

Water remains a vital part of agriculture and an essential part of our daily lives. To view water as a necessity and a resource is therefore extremely important. During Environmental audits, water use and impacts on water resources are assessed. When auditing a farming or production site that abstracts, stores, diverts, discharges, or otherwise impacts… Continue reading Water Use and Water Resource Impacts:  How will an auditor evaluate these practices?

On January 26th, 2026, the Western Cape High Court ruled in favour of CropLife SA, confirming that the 2023 regulations relating to agricultural remedies (Government Notice 3812), as issued under the Farm Feeds, Fertilisers, Agricultural Remedies and Stock Remedies Act 36 of 1947, do not apply to the Pest Control Operator (PCO) Regulations of 2011.… Continue reading High Court Ruling Providing Clarity on the PCO Regulations.