Answers to common questions about the programme, joining, and sustainable South African cotton.
ZACS is a national cotton sustainability standard developed and governed by Cotton SA. It sets out the principles of responsible, sustainable cotton production and processing, and gives farmers and ginners a clear way to show they meet them.
ZACS is owned and governed by Cotton SA. It is backed by a secure online platform used by participating farmers, ginners and Cotton SA.
Joining gives you a clear view of where your farm or ginnery stands today and makes you part of a recognised national standard. As the programme grows, it is designed to open doors to wider market recognition, buyer preference and access to premium markets.
No. Taking part in ZACS is voluntary.
ZACS is open to cotton farmers and ginners in South Africa. Small farmers cultivate under 50 hectares, do most of the work themselves or with family or community, and belong to a local production entity. Large farmers cultivate more than 50 hectares as a registered legal entity. Ginners take part as a registered legal entity.
Submit an expression of interest on this website. Cotton SA reviews it and, if approved, emails you a secure link to activate your profile and complete the full application form online. Cotton SA then reviews your application. Once it is approved, you receive your unique ZACS number, confirm your registration details and can sign in to the platform.
If your expression of interest is declined, Cotton SA will let you know. If your application is not approved the first time, you will be told why and can resubmit it once.
Cotton SA usually reviews your expression of interest within 5 working days and your application within 5 working days.
There are no costs to join the ZACS programme.
It is a unique number you receive once your application is approved. It identifies you across the programme and is linked to your profile and records.
You work to the principles of the standard, complete a self-assessment, and keep records of your practices. Over time, you work on a continuous-improvement plan to strengthen your performance.
It is a structured check, completed on the platform, where you assess your own practices against the ZACS criteria. It helps you and Cotton SA see where you meet the standard and where there is room to improve.
Primary practices are the mandatory baseline that every participant must meet. Improvement practices encourage you to keep raising your performance over time.
ZACS is built around continuous improvement. Where a gap is found, you agree the actions needed to address it as part of your improvement plan.
Once registered, you use it to manage your profile, record your production data, complete your self-assessment, and track your progress against the standard.
You remain the owner of your individual farm data. Cotton SA governs grading data, benchmarks and aggregated industry insights.
The platform uses role-based access, so people only see what they need to, and is built on secure, ISO-aligned hosting. Your data is not shared externally without Cotton SA’s approval.
It is cotton produced by ZACS farmers in line with the standard, and recorded as certified through the programme.
Where only some farmers at a ginnery take part, certified and non-certified cotton are kept apart using a documented separation system. The ZACS sustainable mark and barcoding help trace certified cotton through the chain.
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