SAAFS Membership
All members of SAAFS agree to be bound by the SAAFS Code of Conduct (Code) and the Academy’s Memorandum of Incorporation (MoI). After admission as members they pay an annual membership fee. These are general requirements for all categories of membership.
Click on the above link to see details related to a SAAFS membership application. This includes detailed membership criteria, membership fees, forms to be submitted, etc. Please note the three categories of SAAFS membership below.
Full Member
- Criteria for members with relevant degrees:
- Be in possession of a relevant degree. Please see the exact requirements of such degrees.
- Must be able to demonstrate a minimum of five (5) years in one of the five (5) forensic science fields recognised by SAAFS.
- Criteria for members without relevant degrees – thus via recognition of prior learning (RPL):
- Have a minimum of 10 years’ experience in one of the five (5) forensic science fields recognised by SAAFS.
- Must submit a portfolio of evidence for the relevant field of practice which clearly demonstrates competency in the skill and knowledge necessary for that discipline.
- This portfolio if evidence will be assessed by an RPL panel of SAAFS, against the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime Staff Skill Requirements for Forensic Science Laboratories. Download a copy of these requirements here.
- Download the RPL form that should be completed here.
Associate Member
- Any interested party that wants to be a member of SAAFS, but does not qualify to be a full member, or prefers not to be a full member
- Note that members from the legal profession, press, and any other interested party will be accommodated in this category.
Student Member
- Students must be registered at a formal academic institution.
- Students have to submit a single PDF document with proof of their formal registration at an academic institution.
Degree Requirements for Full Membership
Members of SAAFS, who joined under the degree option, possess the following degrees for the relevant fields of practice. All these degrees are registered at level 8 on the National Qualification Framework (NQF) of:
1. Biology / DNA; Biology, biochemistry or molecular biology
2. Digital / Multimedia; Information technology, computer science, mathematics or electrical / electronic engineering
3. Chemistry / Instrumental Analysis; Chemistry or physics
4. Physics / Pattern Interpretation; Chemistry or physics
5. Crime Scene / Death; Investigation, Biology, chemistry or physics