Deadline looms for spaza shop owners to register before deadline

The deadline is looming for spaza shop owners and other food handling facilities to register their businesses with municipalities to ensure they are compliant with the law.

The deadline for registration is 28 February 2025.

President Cyril Ramaphosa, last year, called for all spaza shops and food-handling facilities to register with their respective municipalities as part of decisive measures to address recurring foodborne illnesses. When the pronouncement was made last November, all spaza shops and food-handling facilities had to register with their respective municipalities within 21 days. However, the deadline for registration was extended to 28 February 2025.

“The registration is open on business days only and excludes public holidays and weekends. Business owners who are eligible to register for this purpose are urged to visit their registration centres in their respective municipalities,” the National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure (NATJOINTS)  said on Thursday.

In the previous registration period, government observed that some of the spaza shop owners and food handlers did not have adequate information and knowledge regarding issues of compliance with health and safety requirements for running a business.

“This is also true regarding compliance with municipal by-laws and other requirements regarding the registration of their business establishments. In this regard, government has put together a training and support programme to assist all eligible owners to comply with these requirements,” NATJOINTS said.

“The end of the registration period, on the 28 February 2025, does not in any way suggest that the foodborne illness challenges have been fully addressed as more work still needs to be done to ensure that this sector is fully regulated and that it adheres to applicable legislation and health regulations.

“A lot still needs to be done in the value chain of business registration and compliance processes. This includes a sustained campaign on multi-disciplinary enforcement interventions, continued awareness campaigns, support and training for business owners, regular sustainable nationwide cleanup campaigns to deal with the challenges of waste management across the country,” the NATJOINTS said.

NATJOINTS said there will be zero tolerance for non-compliance with health, environmental and food handling regulations and other requirements.

 

Done by: Shaneca Cupido