Over 4 000 spaza shops, food businesses registered

Thousands of spaza shops and food-handling businesses in Pretoria are registered and are deemed to be compliant after the deadline for registrations closed on February 28.

Tshwane metro spokesperson Lindela Mashigo confirmed that a total of 4 311 businesses have successfully registered.

He said the majority of these registrations came from regions 1, 2, 3 and 6, with spaza shops, informal traders, and restaurants being the top three categories.

Mashigo said residents will be able to identify compliant businesses, as the metro will notify registered establishments through SMS, email, and phone calls.

However, for those who have missed the deadline, the consequences are severe.

“Unregistered spaza shops and food-handling businesses will not be allowed to trade after the closing date.

“By-law enforcement campaigns will be conducted, and unregistered businesses will be fined and closed,” Mashigo said.

Mashigo also emphasised the metro’s plans to ensure that compliance does not end at registration.

“Regular inspections, assessments, and enforcement campaigns will be conducted to maintain health and safety standards within registered businesses.”

He added that support for these businesses will include training programmes on finance and marketing, facilitated access to funding, and other resources in partnership with organisations such as the Small Enterprise Development and Finance Agency (SEDFA) and Gauteng Enterprise Propeller.

The registration initiative was announced by President Cyril Ramaphosa in November last year, following the outbreak of foodborne illnesses in centres across the country.

Ramaphosa stressed the importance of ensuring food safety and compliance, stating that all spaza shops and food-handling establishments must register within the municipalities where they operate.

“Any shop that is not registered and does not meet all health standards and requirements will be closed,” Ramaphosa had warned at the time.

While the February 28 deadline marked a significant milestone, Small Business Development Minister Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams assured business owners that this is not the end of the road for compliance efforts.

Speaking in Hatfield on March 2, Ndabeni-Abrahams highlighted that processes to ensure compliance and support for spaza shops are ongoing.

“We are aware of the challenges that hindered swift registration, including manual registration systems.

“We know the process had challenges as many municipalities did not have electronic business registration systems,” she said.

The minister explained that businesses still awaiting registration outcomes will not face penalties.

Ndabeni-Abrahams also announced substantial government support initiatives to assist spaza shop owners in maintaining compliance and enhancing their competitiveness.

“She said the government will launch an R500-million Spaza Shop Support Fund later this month to support spaza shop owners.

“The funding is set to be financed through contributions from the Department of Small Business Development and the Department of Trade, Industry, and Competition and will help registered businesses with bulk-buying initiatives and food safety compliance.”

She added that a six-month non-financial support programme will be offered to businesses that have applied but are not yet fully compliant.

“Over the next six months we will be supporting these spaza shops with non-financial assistance to enable their successful registration and compliance because we understand the difficulties and costs associated with becoming compliant,” said the minister.

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