During the mid-seventies the academic and research activities of South African industrial psychologists escalated to such an extent that the establishment of a local journal became imperative.

Professor I. van W. Raubenheimer (former Head of the Department of Industrial Psychology at the University of Stellenbosch) and a group of fellow lecturers identified this need. The year 1975 saw the launch of the A5-format journal ‘Perspectives in Industrial Psychology/Perspektiewe in die Bedryfsielkunde’.

According to Professor Raubenheimer, the Founding Editor, the sole aim of the journal was to function as an independent publication medium, responsible for distributing information on theoretical, empirical and applied work carried out in the field of Industrial Psychology. From the outset the journal was a non-political, non-ideological publication, aiming for the widest possible readership. No preference was expressed in favour of a particular viewpoint, language or scientific orientation in compiling any edition. The only pre-requisite for publication was (and still is) that the content be of the highest scientific quality, and that it should meet the typological and reference guidelines of the American Psychological Association.

In 1985 the journal was accredited by the Department of Higher Education (South Africa) and the name was changed to the ‘SA Journal for Industrial Psychology/SA Tydskrif vir Bedryfsielkunde’. The editorial staff is drawn from academic departments at universities - for the past few years Professor Gert Roodt of the Department of Human Resource Management at the University of Johannesburg has acted as Editor.

A publication average of three issues per annum was achieved, however, where fewer than five articles per issue were initially published. Since OpenJournals Publishing took over, the journal is now published on an Open Access, rolling publication basis, with one hard copy issue published each year. It might be that other special issues are added on an ad hoc basis to the journal throughout a particular year, which will form part of consecutive issues thereafter.