Deadline for spaza shop registration extended

National Government has extended the date for spaza shop owners to register their businesses to avoid possible closure.

On 15 November, President Cyril Ramaphosa set a 21-day deadline for spaza shop registrations, which would have initially ended on Tuesday. The deadline was part of efforts to combat a surge in foodborne illnesses.

Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister, Velenkosi Hlabisa, addressed media on Wednesday on food safety and security in the country

‘’The government still needs to do more work to ensure that the sector is properly regulated and adheres to health regulations. The government understands the concerns raised by some stakeholders regarding the registration deadline for spaza shops. However, it must be noted that the initial deadline was set to address the urgent need to ensure compliance with health and safety standards following the tragic incidents of food-borne illnesses.  Registration ensures that all spaza shops meet minimum standards, regardless of their past operations.’’

‘’In considering whether or not to extend the registration deadline, the government considers its commitment to supporting small businesses, prioritising health and safety, ensuring inclusivity and fairness, and maintaining its integrity,’’ he added.

PICTURE - X: COGTA Min. Velenkosi Hlabisa

Hlabisia says 42 915 applications nationally were received since 15 November and 17 December 2024. Of these, says Hlabisa, 19 386 applications were approved. There are 392 registration centres across South Africa.

National Government says it has decided, in consultation with the President Cyril ramaphosa, to extend the registration deadline for all Spaza Shops and other food-handling outlets to 28 February 2025.

Hlabisa says prior to the revised deadline, government will continue, it says, to implement the action plan to address the crisis of foodborne illnesses and the illicit trade of goods across the country.

‘’Those who have registered their businesses and have duly received their acknowledgement of registration still need to undertake a further process to obtain their trading licenses. For this process, Environmental Health Practitioners and other regulatory authorities will still inspect owners of registered food-related trading businesses to ensure that their businesses are eligible to trade.’’

‘’Notwithstanding the holiday scaling down of operations, municipalities must still reserve capacity to assist those who will be registering. We also urge business owners to continue with their registration process within their respective municipalities and not wait until the next registration deadline.’’

Hlabisa warned that a lot still needs to happen for those who have registered their businesses and others who still need to do so.

‘’We need to explain that we are dealing with two distinct processes. The 1st process is Business compliance where you need to register the Spaza shops or any food handling business. The second process is compliance with health regulations. This process does not depend on whether you are registered or not. If you don’t comply with the health regulations the business is closed down immediately. Hence 1041 spaza shops have already been closed.’’

‘’We are aware of some who have encountered obstacles not of their own making, preventing them from complying with the 21-day registration period. We would therefore like to take this opportunity to thank all those who have taken the time to register their businesses. This was an essential step in ensuring that these businesses uphold the dignity and protect the human lives of the public they serve from which they derive their livelihoods. We are, however, also aware that others have just stayed away and ignored the directive to register their businesses. We want to warn that people must register their businesses and subject these to health compliance inspections,’’ he added.

Government has called on civil society and business partners to help educate community on food safety.

‘’One of the most important initiatives we have undertaken is the rollout of a public education and awareness campaign aimed at children of school-going age, teachers, and their parents.’’

‘’It is important that we intensify this campaign, especially during this busy festive season and in preparation for the opening of schools in early January. The messages on food safety and the dangers of pesticides in domestic environments are quite critical in reducing the risk of infections and food contamination,’’ added Hlabisa.

Government says it has learnt valuable lessons in a short space of time, especially, it says, regarding the need for strengthened enforcement of regulation of spaza shops and other small food handling outlets.

 

Done by: Mitchum George