Where we work · Senegal
ISO and GRC certification consulting in Senegal
Achieve ISO and GRC certification in Senegal with Sterling: 8,100+ client engagements in 60+ countries, 20+ years.
- 21 standards, one team
- Accredited certification route
- Casablanca office team
- Effivity and Academy included
Sectors that ask for certification in Senegal
- Fish processors and seafood exporters
- Agri-food manufacturers, including groundnut, horticulture and livestock chains
- Mining and quarrying companies and their contractors
- Oil, gas and energy-services suppliers
- Pharmaceutical and medical-product makers and distributors
- Banks, electronic money issuers and payment firms
Clients include
ISO and GRC certification in Senegal at a glance
Senegal's certification demand is shaped by export buyers, sector regulators and an investment agency that promotes the country as a regional hub. The Commission de protection des données personnelles (CDP) enforces Law No. 2008-12 on personal data and publishes the receipts and authorisations it issues. The Agence sénégalaise de Réglementation pharmaceutique (ARP) approves medical device establishments, and the BCEAO, the common central bank of the West African monetary union, sets payment and banking rules. APIX-S.A. presents the Investment Code, the economic zones and the Dakar industrial free zone, and lists hydrocarbons, mines, energy, digital, agri-food, pharmaceuticals and tourism as priority sectors, while the fisheries ministry runs a directorate for fish processing industries. The Association Sénégalaise de Normalisation (ASN) develops national standards. Accreditation is regional: SOAC, the West African Accreditation System, is recognised for laboratories, so management-system certificates usually carry accreditation from another economy. Sterling's Casablanca office serves Senegalese organisations, backed by 8,100+ client engagements in 60+ countries, with Effivity and Sterling Academy included with the engagement.
ISO and GRC standards Sterling delivers in Senegal
Each card opens Sterling's guide to the standard: what it requires, how certification or compliance works and what sets the time and cost.
Quality & operational excellence
Information security, cyber & cloud
Privacy & data protection
AI governance & digital trust
Environment, energy & climate
Health & safety
Governance, risk & resilience
Financial services, payments & AML
Food safety & agriculture
Healthcare, medical devices & life sciences
Laboratories, inspection & accreditation
Automotive, aerospace, rail & defence
Construction, energy, oil & gas
Regulators and laws that drive certification in Senegal (9)
| Law or regulator | What it asks for | Standards it cites |
|---|---|---|
| Loi n° 2008-12 du 25 janvier 2008 portant sur la Protection des données à caractère personnel Commission de protection des données personnelles (CDP), which section 5 of the law creates under the name 'Commission des Données Personnelles' as an independent administrative authority; it receives prior formalities, complaints and requests for opinions, keeps a public directory of processing, authorises cross-border transfers, and may issue warnings, formal notices, withdrawals of authorisation, financial penalties and processing bans (Articles 5, 16 and 29 to 31) | Covers collection, processing, transmission, storage and use of personal data by individuals, the State, local authorities and public or private legal persons; applies to controllers acting on Senegalese territory and to controllers, established or not in Senegal, that use processing means located there, in which case a representative established in Senegal must be designated. Most processing is declared to the CDP and may start once its receipt is issued; genetic and health-research data, offence data, interconnection of files, national identification numbers, biometric data and public-interest research need prior authorisation, and State processing in listed fields is set by regulatory act after the CDP's reasoned opinion. Principles include consent or a listed exception, lawful and fair collection, specified purposes, accuracy, transparency, confidentiality and security, with processors bound by written contract. Sensitive data is barred except in listed cases. Transfers abroad need an adequate level of protection, prior information to the CDP and, for some cases, its authorisation. People have rights of information, access, objection, rectification and deletion, and direct marketing needs prior consent. The CDP's decisions can be appealed to the Conseil d'État. | |
| CDP prior formalities, public register and incident reporting form Commission de protection des données personnelles (CDP) | The CDP's website lets organisations consult the receipts and authorisations it has issued and offers a form to report a personal data violation or incident. Declarations follow a model set by the Commission, state the purposes, categories of data, recipients, retention, security measures, any processor and planned transfers, and must be updated when the processing changes. The CDP can also publish simplified norms for common, low-risk processing and approve codes of conduct. | |
| Related digital-economy laws listed by the CDP Not a single regulator; the texts are published together on the CDP's legal-texts page, and Article 75 of Law No. 2008-12 sends its offences to the Penal Code and the cybercrime law | These laws form the legal setting around data protection in Senegal: the information society framework, electronic transactions and signatures, offences committed through information systems, and the use of cryptology. They are context for information security work, not a security standard. | |
| Agence sénégalaise de Réglementation pharmaceutique (ARP) Medicines, other health products, pharmaceutical establishments and medical devices | Décret n° 2022-824 du 07 avril 2022 creates the Agency and fixes its organisation. The Arrêté n° 011772 of 22 May 2026 sets how establishments for the manufacture, import, registration, export, distribution and maintenance of medical devices are approved; it cites Loi n° 2023-06 du 13 juin 2023 relative aux médicaments, aux autres produits de santé et à la pharmacie and Décret n° 2023-2419 du 27 décembre 2023 on medical devices, requires a prior inspection for manufacturing and wholesale approvals, and states that the approval specifies the device class. The text does not name ISO 13485. The Agency's own quality policy is built on ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 17025:2017. | |
| Banque Centrale des Etats de l'Afrique de l'Ouest (BCEAO), the common central bank of the member states of the Union, with its seat in Dakar Banks, credit institutions, electronic money issuers and payment service providers in the West African Economic and Monetary Union | The BCEAO publishes the Union's banking and payment regulation, including Règlement n°15/2002/CM/UEMOA on payment systems, the Instruction n°008-05-2015 governing electronic money issuers, the Instruction N°001-03-2021 on oversight of financial market infrastructures and payment means and services, and the Loi uniforme of 1 December 2011 on offences involving cheques, bank cards and other electronic payment instruments. | |
| Ministère des Pêches et de l'Economie Maritime (MPEM) Fishing, fish processing and fishery exports | The Ministry's own site lists the Direction des Industries de Transformation de la Pêche (DITP) among its key technical directorates, alongside the Direction des Pêches maritimes, the Direction de la Protection et de la Surveillance des Pêches and the Direction de la Pêche Continentale, and describes support for aquaculture and for adding value to fishery products. | |
| Ministère de l'Energie, du Pétrole et des Mines Mining, hydrocarbons and energy | APIX presents a new Ministry of Energy, Petroleum and Mines, with the Direction Générale des Mines managing the mining cadastre and permits, SOMISEN managing the State's holdings in mining projects, and a modern mining code behind a regime that lets the State hold a free share in each project. APIX lists hydrocarbons, mines and energy among Senegal's priority investment sectors. | |
| APIX-S.A. (Agence Nationale pour la Promotion de l'Investissement et des Grands Travaux) Investors, industrial companies and exporters | APIX describes itself as Senegal's one-stop shop for investors, offering company creation, incentive regimes, land access and the advantages tied to the economic zones and to the Investment Code (Code des investissements, 2025 edition on its site). It publishes installation authorisations and approvals for enterprises in the economic zones. | |
| Association Sénégalaise de Normalisation (ASN) National standards, quality policy and standardisation committees | ASN is the national standards body. Its site explains that Senegal adopted a national quality policy by decree 461-2017 of 21 March 2017, aligned with the ECOWAS quality policy, to build a national quality infrastructure covering standardisation, metrology, technical regulation, conformity assessment and accreditation. It lists national technical committees and sectors including agriculture and industry, agri-food, and water and sanitation, and shows participation in ISO, IEC, SMIIC and ECOWAS/ECOHAM bodies. Its role here is standards development only. |
Accreditation and recognition
- West African Accreditation System (SOAC / Système Ouest Africain d'Accréditation): Regional accreditation body for the UEMOA/ECOWAS area; UNIDO states that it serves ECOWAS member states, Senegal among them.
Look for a certification body whose accreditation scope covers your standard and sector, from a national accreditation body recognised under the international arrangements of Global ACI (Global Accreditation Cooperation Incorporated, formerly the IAF MLA). Sterling does not certify.
Economic zones
- Economic zones promoted by APIX-S.A.: industry and manufacturing, agri-food processing, energy, digital services, tourism
- Zone Franche Industrielle de Dakar (Mbao): food industries, chemicals, garments, mechanical engineering, hydrocarbons
Sterling in Senegal
Sterling delivers in Senegal from its Casablanca office: one team from scoping to certificate, with Effivity ISO & GRC software and Sterling Academy access included. Sterling does not certify; certification decisions stay with independent bodies.
Questions Senegal clients ask
Which body accredits certification in Senegal?
Accreditation in Senegal is regional rather than national. SOAC, the West African Accreditation System, serves ECOWAS member states including Senegal, and ECOWAS records its AFRAC and ILAC recognitions for testing, calibration and medical laboratories. For management-system certificates, ask the certification body which accreditation body covers your standard, and check that the certificate's scope matches your sector.
Does Senegal have a personal data protection law, and who enforces it?
Yes. Law No. 2008-12 of 25 January 2008 created the Commission de protection des données personnelles (CDP), an independent authority that receives declarations, grants authorisations, handles complaints and can penalise controllers. Its website lets anyone consult the receipts and authorisations it has issued. Ask counsel or the CDP which formalities your own processing triggers.
Are certification audits in Senegal conducted in French?
Often, yes. Senegalese laws, regulator publications and national standards documents are published in French, so French is the practical language for document review and many contracts. Other languages can be agreed where auditors and staff share them. Settle the audit language, any interpreter and the language of controlled documents with the certification body when you apply.
Who regulates medicines and medical devices in Senegal?
The Agence sénégalaise de Réglementation pharmaceutique (ARP), created by Décret n° 2022-824 of 7 April 2022. An arrêté dated 22 May 2026 sets how establishments making, importing, exporting, distributing or maintaining medical devices are approved, and it requires prior inspection for manufacturing and wholesale. It does not name ISO 13485, so a certificate supports but never replaces that approval.
What economic zones and investment schemes exist in Senegal?
APIX-S.A., the investment one-stop shop, groups the economic zones into investment-ready zones, special economic zones and the Zone Franche Industrielle. The industrial free zone at Mbao near Dakar dates from a 1974 law, as amended. APIX also publishes installation authorisations and approvals for enterprises in the zones, so check which regime applies before you plan certification.
Which sectors drive demand for ISO certification in Senegal?
APIX lists hydrocarbons, mines, energy, digital, agri-food, pharmaceuticals and tourism as priority sectors, and the fisheries ministry runs a directorate for fish processing industries. Whether a certificate is needed is usually set by the buyer, lender or approval you are applying for, so ask them which standards they recognise before choosing.
Start with a free discovery call
A Sterling consultant goes through your entities, your regulators and your target date with you. No proposal until the scope is agreed.
Sources
- Loi n° 2008-12 du 25 janvier 2008 portant sur la Protection des données à caractère personnel — cdp.sn (accessed 18 Oct 2026)
- CDP prior formalities, public register and incident reporting form — cdp.sn (accessed 18 Oct 2026)
- Related digital-economy laws listed by the CDP — cdp.sn (accessed 18 Oct 2026)
- Décret n° 2022-824 du 07 avril 2022 creates the Agency and fixes its organisation. The Arrêté n° 011772 of 22 May 2026 sets how establishments for the manufacture, import, registration, export, distribution and maintenance of medical devices are approved; it cites Loi n° 2023-06 du 13 juin 2023 relative aux médicaments, aux autres produits de santé et à la pharmacie and Décret n° 2023-2419 du 27 décembre 2023 on medical devices, requires a prior inspection for manufacturing and wholesale approvals, and states that the approval specifies the device class. The text does not name ISO 13485. The Agency's own quality policy is built on ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 17025:2017. — arp.sn (accessed 18 Oct 2026)
- The BCEAO publishes the Union's banking and payment regulation, including Règlement n°15/2002/CM/UEMOA on payment systems, the Instruction n°008-05-2015 governing electronic money issuers, the Instruction N°001-03-2021 on oversight of financial market infrastructures and payment means and services, and the Loi uniforme of 1 December 2011 on offences involving cheques, bank cards and other electronic payment instruments. — bceao.int (accessed 18 Oct 2026)
- The Ministry's own site lists the Direction des Industries de Transformation de la Pêche (DITP) among its key technical directorates, alongside the Direction des Pêches maritimes, the Direction de la Protection et de la Surveillance des Pêches and the Direction de la Pêche Continentale, and describes support for aquaculture and for adding value to fishery products. — mpem.gouv.sn (accessed 18 Oct 2026)
- APIX presents a new Ministry of Energy, Petroleum and Mines, with the Direction Générale des Mines managing the mining cadastre and permits, SOMISEN managing the State's holdings in mining projects, and a modern mining code behind a regime that lets the State hold a free share in each project. APIX lists hydrocarbons, mines and energy among Senegal's priority investment sectors. — investinsenegal.sn (accessed 18 Oct 2026)
- APIX describes itself as Senegal's one-stop shop for investors, offering company creation, incentive regimes, land access and the advantages tied to the economic zones and to the Investment Code (Code des investissements, 2025 edition on its site). It publishes installation authorisations and approvals for enterprises in the economic zones. — investinsenegal.sn (accessed 18 Oct 2026)
- ASN is the national standards body. Its site explains that Senegal adopted a national quality policy by decree 461-2017 of 21 March 2017, aligned with the ECOWAS quality policy, to build a national quality infrastructure covering standardisation, metrology, technical regulation, conformity assessment and accreditation. It lists national technical committees and sectors including agriculture and industry, agri-food, and water and sanitation, and shows participation in ISO, IEC, SMIIC and ECOWAS/ECOHAM bodies. Its role here is standards development only. — asn.sn (accessed 18 Oct 2026)
- West African Accreditation System (SOAC / Système Ouest Africain d'Accréditation) — wacomp.ecowas.int; hub.unido.org; asn.sn (accessed 18 Oct 2026)
- Economic zones promoted by APIX-S.A. — investinsenegal.sn (accessed 18 Oct 2026)
- Zone Franche Industrielle de Dakar (Mbao) — investinsenegal.sn (accessed 18 Oct 2026)
Talk to a consultant
Plan your certification with the Casablanca team.
Tell us your goals, locations and target date. We’ll help you define the scope, timeline and next steps.
southafrica@sterling-grc.com+1 201 263 4443 (global headquarters) · the Casablanca office replies by e-mail within one working day
What would you like to achieve?
Choose a starting point. The enquiry form takes about a minute.
Book my free discovery callContinue to the enquiry form to share your details. Please do not include passwords, sensitive personal information or confidential files. A Sterling consultant replies within one working day. Privacy notice