Audit

SIZA strives to ensure continuous improvement within agri-businesses, allowing for economic growth, social responsibility, and environmental stewardship throughout the supply chain.

It is important to note that when an audit is scheduled, it cannot be done through coercion or colluding between parties to achieve a mutually beneficial outcome that is unethical. This includes the business requesting a specific auditor, or an auditor auditing a business where they might have a personal connection.

Each audit’s cost will depend on a variety of factors, including the number of employees, the number of farms/facilities, and where the site is located.

Audits must take place during peak production periods as this is a minimum requirement to ensure markets accept the audit report’s validity.

Although SIZA focuses on avoiding duplication in audits for South African producers, producers still require three pillars for sustainability audits which includes: social, environmental, and a food safety audit.

Audit firms must ensure that the schedulers have good communication with producers to ensure they understand that a minimum of 66% of the total workforce must be present, including temporary employees and Temporary Employment Services (where applicable).

A total of 438 Social audits have been conducted during the period of 1 January 2021 to 31 July 2021. A total of 15 Environmental audits have been conducted between 1 January 2021 and 31 July 2021.

SIZA strives to ensure continuous improvement within agri-businesses, allowing for economic growth, social responsibility, and environmental stewardship throughout the supply chain.

During the recent SIZA Social Auditor training, a session was held on how auditors influence the employees during an audit and more importantly, the impact auditors have on the whole business.

One might ask why SIZA recognises five third-party audit firms to conduct SIZA audits. The motivation behind such a wide variety is to ensure producers have a choice to select a firm that they are comfortable with.