Pretoria: Spaza shop and food handling businesses that applied to register with their local municipalities but are still awaiting registration outcomes will not face penalties, Small Business Development Minister Stella Ndabeni announced. The businesses, which met the registration deadline, are promised support despite challenges in the registration process.
According to South African Government News Agency, Ndabeni acknowledged the difficulties faced by many municipalities that lack electronic business registration systems. Only 60 municipalities in the country currently utilize a digital registration system. In response to these challenges, 135 registration centers were visited to gain insights into the issues faced by applicants.
The Minister emphasized the government’s commitment to supporting these businesses over the next six months with non-financial assistance to help them achieve successful registration and compliance. This support includes training programs provided by the Small Enterprise Development and Finance Agency (SEDFA). The existing spaza shop support program, in collaboration with the Wholesale and Retail SETA and other partners, offers training in inventory management and provides essential equipment such as point-of-sale systems, along with financial support for stock.
Ndabeni clarified that the registration deadline does not mark the end of compliance challenges for spaza shops and food handling outlets. The initiative aims to ensure compliance with food safety standards and foster a competitive business environment in the country.
The registration drive is part of a broader strategy to address foodborne illnesses, following several incidents of food poisoning and related deaths. The registration period, initially set for 21 days ending in December of the previous year, was extended to February 28, 2025, to accommodate eligible businesses.
The Department of Small Business Development leads the economic workstream within the National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure (NATJOINTS), focusing on interventions to enhance capacity in township and rural spaza shops. Further updates will be provided in an upcoming NATJOINT briefing by the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs.