With spaza registration deadline looming, over 4k businesses registered in Tshwane, confirms Moya
This follows a national drive to put spaza shops on the books in a bid to improve regulatory oversight and food safety standards in the informal food sector.
Authorities conduct spaza shop inspections in Naledi, Soweto. Picture: Jacques Nelles/Eyewitness News
JOHANNESBURG - With two weeks to go before the cut-off date, more than 4,100 business owners have registered their spaza shops in Tshwane.
This follows a national drive to put spaza shops on the books in a bid to improve regulatory oversight and food safety standards in the informal food sector.
The ultimatum for shop owners to register their businesses or close shop follows hundreds of cases of food contamination in parts of the country since September and the deaths of at least 23 children.
Some of them were confirmed to have died of poisoning linked to the agricultural pesticide terbufos.
When President Cyril Ramaphosa announced the registration of spaza shops in November 2024, the initial deadline was 21 days. This was later extended to the end of this month.
Of the 4,100 spaza shops registered in Tshwane since the directive, Mayor Nasiphi Moya said more than 50% belong to South Africans and more than a third are owned by women.
“We don’t think 4,100 is enough by the way, but we also understand that especially in townships, there is fear that the moment you are known by the government then they’re going to enforce but also the issue of the cost to comply. Most of them have raise that with us and it’s something we are working on.”
Beyond the immediate crisis response, Moya said the city is also implementing long-term regulatory reforms to formalise and strengthen the informal economy.