Vendors slam ‘unjust’ Tshwane fees as metro defends health regulation requirements
Vendors and market organisers in Tshwane say their livelihoods are under threat due to rising fees and unclear communication from the metro. While traders call the charges unfair and unsustainable, the city insists it is simply enforcing the law.
Tshwane is facing increasing backlash from market vendors and organisers who claim the metro is enforcing additional and unaffordable health compliance costs.
At the heart of the dispute are charges linked to the Certificate of Acceptability (CoA), a document required for food vendors to operate.
While the metro insists these are standard regulatory fees, traders say the costs are excessive, non-transparent, and unique to Tshwane.
Andrea Jordaan, a market organiser, said stall numbers have drastically dropped in recent months due to these new charges.
“The vendors have to pay literally a R1 000 extra for every market, and it’s only in Tshwane.”
Jordaan added that no official notice or meeting ever explained the changes to vendors.
“I’ve not heard of a single vendor being formally briefed by the city.
“Some just heard through word of mouth or after seeing markets being shut down and fines issued.”
Ilona Botes, a pensioner and vendor, said the current process has become unaffordable and disorganised.
“The CoA application has to go through the market organiser, and often it doesn’t come in time.”
She said she has missed several markets because of this.
Botes added that even organisers are discouraged from hosting markets due to the bureaucracy and fees.
“It was better when we had one certificate that lasted two years.
“I applied for mine before all of this, and I never got it or my money back,” she said.
The DA in Gauteng has called for a formal investigation into the fees, claiming they are unlawful and selectively applied.
The party’s provincial health spokesperson Madeleine Hicklin said they conducted an oversight inspection in early April and found the Pierre van Ryneveld market was operating at less than a third of its normal capacity.
She said only 12 of the usual 40 stallholders were trading.
“These small businesses are being suffocated by additional charges for non-gazetted food handling courses and CoAs, on top of the existing national requirements,” Hicklin said.
“The additional charges range between R357 and R1 008 per stall for each market day, excluding the R577 food handling course. Without these certificates, vendors face fines of up to R4 000.”
Hicklin said the DA believes these actions contradict Premier Panyaza Lesufi’s promises to support SMMEs.
“The DA Gauteng stands firmly with these small business owners who are unfairly targeted,” she said.
“We demand immediate action and an investigation by MEC Jacob Mamabolo to correct this injustice.”
The metro confirmed that the fees in question were gazetted in June 2024 under Local Authority Notice 838.
Tshwane spokesperson Lindela Mashigo said the charges are not new or additional, but are “service fees” related to issuing CoAs for each premises or market event.
“The CoAs are not transferable. Each setup requires an inspection, hence the fee,” said Mashigo.
Regarding the R577 mandatory food handling course, Mashigo said it is a national requirement under Regulation R638 of 2018, and training must comply with specific standards.
He added that vendors can choose service providers for the course, as long as the training is compliant.
When asked about the dramatic drop in traders at the markets and the broader economic impact, the metro held its position, stating that all food vendors must meet these compliance obligations before operating.
Mashigo denied any deviation from the national law or unfair treatment of vendors.
“If anyone has evidence of targeting or intimidation, it should be reported to law enforcement. City officials follow the legislative mandate.”
He said the last meeting between the metro and vendors took place in July 2024.
However, according to vendors, there never was a meeting between them and Tshwane.
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