GFSI Certification in South Africa: What It Is and How to Get It

GFSI is not a certification scheme — it is a benchmarking body that recognises food safety standards including FSSC 22000 and BRCGS. To get "GFSI certification" in South Africa, you pursue one of these recognised schemes. Here is what that means and how to get there.

GFSI does not issue certificates. The Global Food Safety Initiative is a benchmarking organisation — it evaluates food safety certification schemes and determines whether they meet its requirements. When retailers say they require "GFSI certification," they mean they require certification under one of the schemes that GFSI has benchmarked and recognised. In South Africa, the two most relevant are FSSC 22000 and BRCGS.

What is the GFSI?

The Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) was established in 2000 by a group of major international retailers and food manufacturers who wanted to reduce the burden of multiple food safety audits. The idea was simple: if a single rigorous framework could be agreed on, and multiple certification schemes could be benchmarked against it, a supplier certified under any GFSI-recognised scheme should be accepted by any retailer who requires GFSI certification.

This is the "once certified, accepted everywhere" principle. A South African manufacturer certified under FSSC 22000 can supply Woolworths, Pick n Pay, Tesco, Marks and Spencer, Aldi, and most international retailers — all of whom accept GFSI-benchmarked certification — without undergoing separate audits for each customer.

Which Certification Schemes are GFSI-Recognised?

GFSI currently recognises the following certification schemes:

• FSSC 22000 (Food Safety System Certification 22000) — the most widely pursued in South Africa
• BRCGS (Brand Reputation Compliance Global Standards) — dominant in UK supply chains
• SQF (Safe Quality Food) — widely used in North America and Australia
• IFS Food — dominant in German and French retail supply chains
• GlobalG.A.P. — for primary agricultural producers
• GLOBALG.A.P. GRASP — for social standards in agriculture
• CanadaGAP — for Canadian produce supply chains

For South African food manufacturers, FSSC 22000 is the default choice for most retail categories. BRCGS is a strong second choice, particularly for manufacturers with UK export business or those in packaging materials manufacturing.

Why Do South African Retailers Require GFSI Certification?

The major South African retailers — Woolworths, Pick n Pay, Checkers, SPAR — have adopted GFSI requirements for their own-brand supplier bases for several interconnected reasons:

• Liability reduction — if a GFSI-certified supplier produces a product that causes illness, the certification provides documented evidence of a robust food safety system. It does not eliminate liability, but it demonstrates due diligence.
• Audit fatigue reduction — instead of each retailer conducting its own supplier audits, GFSI-recognised certification replaces those audits. One certificate serves all.
• Alignment with international standards — South African retailers that are part of international groups (or that export) must align with international supply chain standards.
• Consumer confidence — GFSI certification is increasingly marketed as a quality signal to consumers.

How to Get GFSI Certification in South Africa: Step by Step

1. Choose your scheme — FSSC 22000 or BRCGS for most South African manufacturers. Your retailer customers may specify which one they require. If not, FSSC 22000 is the practical default.
2. Conduct a gap assessment — assess where your current food safety system sits against the requirements of your chosen scheme. This identifies what needs to be built before you can apply for certification.
3. Implement the system — build and implement a food safety management system that meets all scheme requirements. This includes documentation, prerequisite programmes, HACCP plan, monitoring, verification, and management review processes.
4. Select a certification body — choose an accredited certification body approved by your scheme's scheme owner. For FSSC 22000, this means a certification body approved by the FSSC Foundation. Options in South Africa include Bureau Veritas, SGS, Intertek, TÜV Rheinland, and others.
5. Stage 1 audit (document review) — the certification body reviews your food safety management system documentation to confirm you are ready for the on-site assessment.
6. Stage 2 audit (on-site assessment) — the certification auditor visits your site to verify that your documented system is fully implemented and operating effectively.
7. Certification decision — if the Stage 2 audit is successful and any non-conformances are closed out, the certification body issues your certificate.
8. Annual surveillance — maintain your system and undergo annual surveillance audits. Recertify every three years.

How Long Does GFSI Certification Take in South Africa?

For a South African food manufacturer building a system from scratch, GFSI certification (FSSC 22000 or BRCGS) typically takes 6–12 months from the start of implementation to certificate in hand. The main variables are:

• Whether a food safety system already exists (a prior SANS 10330 HACCP system significantly reduces the timeline)
• The complexity of your operation (number of product lines, allergen management, process complexity)
• Your team's capacity to drive implementation alongside normal operations
• How quickly non-conformances identified in Stage 1 can be resolved before Stage 2

What Does GFSI Certification Cost in South Africa?

Total cost for FSSC 22000 or BRCGS certification in South Africa (combining consultant fees and certification body audit costs) typically ranges from R80,000 to R320,000, depending on business size and current system state. Small businesses building from scratch should budget R80,000–R140,000. Businesses with an existing HACCP system can expect to spend R35,000–R95,000.

In addition to implementation and audit costs, FSSC 22000 requires an annual licence fee (currently approximately USD 1,900 per manufacturing site) paid to the FSSC Foundation. BRCGS does not charge a licence fee.

Frequently Asked Questions