The South African Weather Service (SAWS) as the mandated national meteorological service has a vision of “A WeatherSMART Nation” - where citizens and institutions are able to use quality and reliable weather and climate related data provided by the organization to enhance the quality of their lives and build resilience to extreme weather events and mitigate climate change impacts.
The South African Weather Service (SAWS) will achieve this vision by evolving into a weather and Climate Centre of Excellence that provides innovative solutions to ensure a Weather – smart (WeatherSMART) region, sustainable development and economic growth through thought leadership in meteorological, climatological and other related sciences; the development of relevant and innovative applications and products utilising cutting edge technology; and establishing and leveraging collaborative partnerships.
The South African Weather Service (SAWS) is conscious of the responsibility it has to fulfil its mandate to support the policies of the government – its Shareholder concomitantly upholds the following values: Scientific Excellence - We consistently demonstrate our commitment to innovation through human capital development, knowledge generation, dissemination of quality, reliable data and information as well as continuous learning. Collaboration - We are willing to work with, share and gain knowledge from various stakeholders, and leverage our collective and diverse strengths and abilities to achieve our goals. Community Consciousness - We strive to develop and sustain compassion and attentiveness to the needs of the communities we serve whilst building a sense of community within the organisation. Safety - Given our authoritative role in ensuring public-safety, we are committed to ensuring high-levels of safety standards at all times for our employees and the communities we serve.
Making you Weather – Smart
The operating principles, which will form the bedrock of SAWS operations, are:
SAWS is also an ISO 9001 certified organisation and thus meets ICAO and WMO requirements for Meteorological Services, particularly those that provide services to the aviation industry in the case of ICAO. To this end, the organisation has adopted a Total Quality Management System driven by this policy:
(SAWS) is a provider of useful and innovative weather, climate, and related products and services. In line with the organisation’s philosophy and ethos, SAWS has implemented a Total Quality Management system in accordance with the requirements of ISO 9001:2008. It seeks to ensure that both its products and services meet stakeholder requirements and are fit for use.
The Management and staff of SAWS are committed to the Vision, Mission and Values of the organisation and actively contribute to and support all initiatives aimed at achieving organisational goals and objectives.
In pursuit of organisational excellence, we commit ourselves to the maintenance and improvement of the SAWS Quality Management System. This will be achieved through: