The basis for the current SAAO standard photometric system at JHKL is given. This depends on an extensive investigation involving 230 stars distributed around the sky. The accuracy is estimated at ± 0.02 mag for J, H and K and ± 0.05 mag for L. Comparisons made with results from earlier SAAO work and from ESO, AAO, MSSSO and CTIO show that only the latter is of similar accuracy.