The Legal Metrology Act as promulgated in August 2014 expanded the scope of Legal Metrology to include measurements in the fields of health, safety, and the environment. The promulgation of the Legal Metrology Act places South Africa on par with many developed countries and well in advance of many developing countries especially some of our trading partners.

Legal Metrology is responsible for the implementation of a regulatory and compliance system and for the administration and maintenance of legal metrology technical regulations to promote fair trade and to protect public health, safety, and the environment. Legal Metrology provides market surveillance inspections to ensure compliance with legal metrology technical regulations. These activities are performed under the authority of the Legal Metrology Act, 2014 (Act 9 of 2014).

This Act applies to measurable products and services, measurements in trade, health, safety and the environment and any measuring instrument used for a prescribed purpose.