By Johnathan Paoli.
The Gauteng Provincial Government (GPG) has announced significant progress in the registration and compliance status of spaza shops and food-handling facilities across the province in a determined bid to safeguard public health and restore consumer confidence.
The provincial Finance and Economic Development department released an extensive update on the registration, stressing the push for stricter regulation as being ignited by a series of alarming incidents of food-borne illnesses in November last year.
“Ultimately, we seek to ensure that the horrors of the last year where our children were hospitalised and killed as a result of non-compliance on the part of spaza shops and food-handling facilities are never repeated,” said Lebogang Maile, Gauteng MEC of Finance and Economic Development.
This announcement follows a series of media briefings designed to ensure transparency and accountability after a severe crisis of food-borne illnesses that affected communities throughout South Africa.
In response to the hospitalisations of hundreds of children and the tragic loss of lives, President Cyril Ramaphosa issued a directive, mandating that all spaza shops and food-handling facilities register with their respective municipalities within 21 days.
Facilities failing to comply with the new health and safety standards were slated for closure.
Maile said the urgency of this measure underscored the government’s commitment to preventing a recurrence of past tragedies.
In recognition of the operational challenges faced by many business owners, Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA) Minister Velenkosini Hlabisa announced in December an extension of the registration deadline to 28 February 2025.
This extension came after significant input from spaza shop owners and the implementation of mechanisms to expedite application processing and resolve legislative challenges.
Maile said that municipalities throughout Gauteng have rallied behind a Joint Action Plan, which calls for regular reporting on registration progress, compliance status, inspections, and training initiatives.
He said several municipalities have advanced digitisation efforts by developing online portal registration systems to simplify the process.
The City of Johannesburg is scheduled to launch its online application system within the coming week, offering remote application options alongside existing registration centres.
However, some municipalities are still operating manually until their electronic systems are fully developed.
Registration progress varies across the province.
In Johannesburg, 2,179 applications have been received, including 593 from foreign nationals, though only eight of these have been approved for facilities owned by foreign nationals.
The Sedibeng District Municipality, comprising Midvaal, Emfuleni, and Lesedi, has received 2,688 applications, with 1,260 from foreign nationals, resulting in 28 approved applications and 27 Certificates of Acceptability (COA) issued.
In the City of Tshwane, 4,109 applications have been received, with 1,879 from foreign nationals; 148 have been approved while 564 applications were rejected pending proper documentation, and 780 COAs have been issued.
Additional updates from other municipalities include 150 applications in Rand West City (125 from foreign-owned facilities) with no approvals yet, 109 COAs in Ekurhuleni, and progress in both Merafong City and Mogale City, where a combined total of COAs and approved applications reflect steady but uneven progress province-wide.
Inspection efforts have been robust across Gauteng.
In Johannesburg, 7,802 inspections identified 1,444 non-compliant facilities, resulting in the closure of 243 establishments for failing to meet environmental health and safety standards.
Tshwane has conducted 5,851 inspections with 1,905 non-compliant findings, leading to 48 closures, while Ekurhuleni recorded 9,433 inspections with 8,848 non-compliant facilities, though only five closures were enforced.
Meanwhile, Mogale City’s 2,351 inspections uncovered 23 non-compliant cases without any facility closures, and Sedibeng carried out 927 joint inspections identifying 30 non-compliant facilities.
Inspections in Rand West City are still pending.
A significant challenge remains in ensuring compliance with zoning laws.
Many spaza shops were built without proper zoning permits and, in some cases, on critical municipal infrastructure.
Although demolition is considered a last resort, Maile said authorities are expediting regularisation efforts, which typically take up to two months.
To bolster food safety standards, training interventions have reached 7,148 spaza shops and food-handling facilities across Gauteng, with 372 sessions already conducted as mandated by Regulation 638.
The Department of Small Business Development (DSBD) has further supported these efforts by rolling out targeted action plans, establishing a reporting template, and facilitating coordination between provincial and district officials.
The DSBD has also initiated a geo-mapping project to gather spatial data on these facilities, aided by trained Business Regulation Officers assisting municipalities through the DSBD Connect platform.
The provincial government has reiterated its commitment to shutting down any facility that continues operating after being flagged for non-compliance.
Maile warned that persistent violations will lead to criminal prosecution, emphasising that the health and safety of the province’s residents, particularly its children, cannot be compromised.
As the registration deadline approaches, he said the government remains vigilant in its efforts to enforce compliance and protect public health throughout Gauteng.
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