The Association of Surgeons of South Africa (ASSA) is an official group of the South African Medical Association. The aims of ASSA include: To promote the science and practice of surgery; to represent and further the interests of surgeons in RSA; to sponsor and promote surgical journals and to encourage and support surgical research in RSA.

Membership of the Association ranges from Associate members to Full voting members, details of which are available on the ASSA website. The general control and direction of the policy and affairs of the Association are vested in the Executive Committee of the Association. The Executive Committee hold office for two years and consists of the president, a chairman, a vice chairman, an honorary secretary, an honorary treasurer and four members. An additional four members may be co-opted at the discretion of the Executive Committee.

The annual general meeting (AGM) of the Association, as far as is possible, takes place during the Biennial Congress of the Association of Surgeons in the years in which this is arranged. In alternate years the annual general meeting is arranged to coincide with a suitable academic meeting as designated by the Executive Committee.