Many professional institutes and associations are armigerous. A few, which are branches of British institutes, bear the arms of their parent bodies (and have, in some cases, registered them), but most of the arms appear to be original South African designs.
Institute arms usually consist of a shield, crest, and motto, though a few have supporters too. Designs frequently allude to the organisations' fields of activity, e.g. bezants (gold coins) and/or quill pens for those in the financial and administrative sectors.
The following is a selection of arms.
Accounting and Administration
The arms of the SA Institute of Chartered Accountants (BoH 1980) also have quill pens, together with gold coins: Argent, two quills chevronwise inverted points conjoined; on a chief invected both Gules four bezants. Those of the Cape Society of Chartered Accountants (BoH 1975), which was later incorporated into the SAICA, alluded to the chequered cloth once used to count money, as well as to the anchor of Good Hope: Chequy of nine Azure and Argent, on a pile embowed reversed Or an anchor Gules fouled proper, on a chief Gules three bezants.
Banking
Education
See under Academic Heraldry
Engineering
The arms of the SA Institute of Civil Engineers display a bridge, and three gold rings alluding to its Cape Town origins: Azure, a one-arched bridge Or, on a chief Gules three annulets Or and in base three barrulets wavy Argent (BoH 1966).
Law
Local Government
The arms of the Institute of Town Clerks (BoH 1977) employed the powdered wig once worn by town clerks as the principal charge: Gules, a town clerk's wig Argent; on a chief embattled Or two quills in saltire proper. Those of the SA Association of Municipal Employees were Gules, three quill pens erect Argent; on a chief embattled Or an anvil Gules between two proteas slipped and leaved proper (DEAS 1962).
Management
Medicine
See under Medical Heraldry
Personnel Management
The very modernistic arms of the SA Board for Personnel Practice (BoH 1984) are Per pale Or and Gules, a bar couped enhanced conjoined to three pallets couped and barbed to base counterchanged.
Property
Science and Technology
The arms of the SA Acoustics Institute (BoH 1978) adapt a scientific phenomenon into an effective heraldic charge: Per pale Azure and Argent, a sine wave counterchanged.