The International Organization for Standardization is one of the most popular quality management systems in the modern business environment. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and Total Quality Management (TQM) interface the quality management systems within an organization. Over the last decade, the International Organization for Standardization has established a variety of quality management systems such as ISO9001:2008; ISO14001:2004; ISO10002:2007; ISO13485:2003; ISO9000:2005, ISO 9000:2008, ISO14971:2007; ISO18000:2007, and other ISO quality management systems are facilitating many professionally-run the businesses. This research topic, however, investigates how the ISO 9001:2008 quality management system affects the rubber and plastics industry of South Africa. This research is based on the qualitative and quantitative methods used to ascertain how the ISO 9001:2008 quality management system affects the rubber and plastics industry of South Africa. Samples are selected randomly at 95% confidence levels with a margin of error of 5%. The study was also retrospective in that it relied on the data collected from individuals who had been exposed to the ISO9001:2008 quality management system in the rubber and plastics industry in a South African manufacturing environment. The ISO 9001:2008 quality management system distinguishes between the end results and the means of achieving organizational objectives. The final recommendation after the indepth discussion in Chapter Six is aimed at improving levels of product and service quality; the reduction of product cost; an improvement in the working relationship between employer and employee; increasing customer satisfaction; offering confidence to suppliers, competitors, investors and in business ventures in general, while attaining greater profitability in the rubber and plastics industry of South Africa in particular. / Thesis (MBA)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Westville, 2011.