SAPPA is a professional organization that promotes quality polygraph services to the society, to lead in the regulation and conduct of the profession, and to defend the profession so it can contribute in a positive way to the society it serves.

SAPPA subscribes to the ethical, technical and moral standards of the World Polygraph Body, the American Polygraph Association.

It is the position of the South African Professional Polygraph Association (SAPPA) that a polygraph examination, properly administered by a well trained and competent polygraph examiner, using validated testing principles and procedures, has a high degree of accuracy in detecting deception or otherwise determining the truthfulness of provided information.

Quality is achieved by way of training, experience and adherence to professional standards.  Training and experience alone do not increase the probability of an accurate test result when professional standards or other validated testing principles and procedures are not followed.

To facilitate the conduct of valid and reliable polygraph examinations, the SAPPA has established Standards of Practice that are consistent with, or exceed those of, the American Polygraph Association (APA), of which SAPPA is a Divisional Member, and the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM - International).  The APA is likely the largest worldwide professional organization of polygraph examiners, numbering in excess of 2,500 members.  The ASTM International is a standards development body with more than a hundred years of developing testing and materials standards and has Memorandums of Understanding with more than 66 countries, including South Africa.

Adv. Ferdi Venter wrote a very interesting opinion on polygraphy - to read the whole document click here (PDF, 250kb).