AS9100 certification in South Africa

AS9100 certification in South Africa at a glance

Aerospace customers check a supplier's certificate in OASIS, the IAQG's online database of organisations certified to the 9100 series, before they look at anything else. For South African machining, fabrication and special-process shops that want to sell into those supply chains, that makes AS9100 the entry ticket. One local detail matters: the IAF legacy listing for SANAS, the only accreditation body in the Republic under Act 19 of 2006, shows no sub-scope for IAQG 9100, so suppliers usually work with a certification body accredited for 9100 by another accreditation body within the international arrangements and confirm that it can upload the result to OASIS. The standard builds on ISO 9001 with requirements for configuration management, product safety, counterfeit parts prevention, first article inspection and on-time delivery. Sterling extends the client's existing quality system to those requirements from its Johannesburg office, with Effivity and Sterling Academy training included in the engagement. The route and the questions aerospace suppliers ask follow.

Who needs AS9100 in South Africa, and what happens without it

In South Africa the question rarely comes from a law. It comes from the buyer, the regulator or the partner that wants proof before it signs. These are the organisations that get asked.

• Manufacturers of aerospace parts and assemblies for export customersAerospace primes require 9100-series certification listed in OASIS.
• Machining, fabrication and special-process suppliersCustomer flow-down requirements extend to sub-tier suppliers.
• Defence and aviation maintenance supply chainsCustomers prefer suppliers with an aerospace quality system on top of ISO 9001.

AS9100 requirements in South Africa

Strip away the vocabulary and AS9100 asks a supplier to prove six things about delivering aerospace products safely and on time.

In South Africa these six sit alongside the local laws and regulations listed under drivers below; one system can evidence both. The detail is on the global hub: AS9100 explained →

How to get AS9100 certified in South Africa

One team from the Johannesburg office carries the work from scoping to certificate. On-site from the Johannesburg (Sandown) office across Gauteng and, by arrangement, other provinces; remote delivery for distributed teams.

1. Discovery call and scopeEntities, locations, regulators and target date, agreed before any proposal.
2. Gap assessment against AS9100 and the South African requirements that apply to youControls you already run for your regulators and customers are reused, not rebuilt.
3. Your system built with your team in EffivityRisks, controls, evidence, incidents and reviews in one live system the auditor can see.
4. Internal audit, management review and corrective actionsYour internal auditors trained by Sterling; the evidence proven before the certification body arrives.
5. Certification body stage 1 and stage 2, then surveillanceAn accredited body audits and decides. Sterling supports the audits and the three-year cycle.

The Sterling Promise: 100% on-time completion, 100% success, 8,100+ client engagements.Sterling does not certify. Certification decisions stay with independent bodies.

How long does AS9100 certification take in South Africa?

There is no standard duration: it depends on your scope and on how much of the system already runs. In South Africa these are the factors that set the timeline.

• Existing ISO 9001 system and its maturity
• Number of product families and special processes
• First article inspection and configuration records available

Sterling agrees a dated plan with you on the discovery call, once the scope is known.

• Scope and timeline estimator

How much does AS9100 certification cost in South Africa?

The cost has two parts: the consulting work to build and prove the system, and the certification body’s audit fees, which are quoted separately. In South Africa these factors move both.

• Number of sites and special processes in scope
• Certification body audit fees quoted separately from consulting
• Extent of customer-specific requirements

Sterling gives one customised, all-inclusive proposal after the discovery call, never before the scope is agreed.

AS9100 consultants and certification bodies in South Africa

Two different organisations are involved. A consultant helps you build the system and prove it works; an accredited certification body then audits or assesses it and decides. Keeping the two separate is what makes the result credible to buyers and regulators.

• Check that the body’s accreditation or approval covers AS9100 and your sector, and that its certificates can be verified online.
• Ask the consultant how the local requirements in South Africa are mapped into the same system, so nothing runs twice.
• Ask for client references in your sector; Sterling’s client letters are available on request.
• Agree who owns the evidence and the tool after the engagement; with Sterling the system stays yours, in Effivity.

AS9100 in South Africa: questions clients ask

More on AS9100 for South African organisations

• AS9100: the complete guide
• Watch: How to implement AS9100
• Sterling in Johannesburg
• AS9100 certification in South Africa and every other standard Sterling delivers there

Other standards South African businesses ask Sterling for

Organisations in South Africa often combine AS9100 with one of these, under one management system where the scopes allow.

All 21 standards Sterling delivers in South Africa →