Small Business Development Minister Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams has reaffirmed the government’s commitment to assisting spaza shops and food-handling outlets in meeting compliance regulations. This follows a string of food poisoning incidents and deaths linked to foodborne illnesses, prompting authorities to require these businesses to register by 28 February.
To support the process, 61 business regulation officers have been recruited to conduct awareness campaigns, research, and geo-mapping of spaza shops and food-handling facilities, among other functions.
However, despite these efforts, many businesses remain unregistered.
Speaking on VOC’s Sunday Live, Rosheda Muller, president of the National Informal Traders Alliance of South Africa (NITASA), acknowledged that the compliance deadline has not been met.
“It’s very clear that the deadline has not been met; there are still so many businesses that need to be registered. Even from the government’s side, I have engaged specifically with those here in the Western Cape, and they simply do not have the capacity to ensure that each spaza shop is registered. So, although the deadline has passed, it is highly unlikely that everyone has complied.”
Muller highlighted major obstacles, including limited awareness campaigns, an insufficient number of inspectors, and logistical challenges faced by small business owners.
“The food handlers, especially, are still largely unregistered, and there is a serious lack of awareness from the government’s side. There are not enough inspectors, municipalities cannot handle the queues, and many traders struggle to reach municipalities due to transport, financial constraints, and the cost of registration.”
Listen to the full interview below:
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