NATIONAL NEWS - On 18 December 2024, President Cyril Ramaphosa extended the registration deadline for all spaza shops and other food-handling outlets to 28 February.
As of today, Friday 14 February, spaza shop owners and other food-handling facilities are left with exactly 14 days to register their businesses.
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 end of the registration period 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, and regular sustainable nationwide cleanup campaigns to deal with the challenges of waste management across the country.
The legal requirements
Business owners must adhere to all the applicable legal requirements relating to the registration and ownership of a business in South Africa – compliance is not a once-off matter upon registration but rather continuous throughout the life cycle of the business.
In addition to the requirements prescribed in the Businesses Act 71 of 1971, and municipal by-laws related to conducting a business, business owners must comply with the requirements of the Immigration Act as administered by the Department of Home Affairs.
Foreigners who are legally in the country either through a valid asylum, visa or permanent resident status are also obliged to abide by the terms and conditions of their status in terms of the Immigration Act.
Compliance
Eligible business owners must take note that registration alone does not mean that a business is eligible to trade. To obtain a licence or a permit to trade in food handling, business owners must also comply with all health regulations and municipal by-laws related to conducting such a business.
As mentioned previously, there will be zero tolerance for non-compliance with health, environmental and food handling regulations and other requirements, even as we allow time for others to first register their applications and secondly have their final business licenses issued.
Where a business does not comply with health, environmental and food handling regulations and other requirements, they will not be allowed to trade.
This will apply to both registered and non-registered businesses.
The Department of Small Business Development, in partnership with other government entities in the business development and support environment, has been conducting training sessions to empower small businesses with the knowledge and information required in the sector.
This program will continue beyond the deadline to ensure that business owners comply with the legal and regulatory requirements.
You can contact Sedfa at +086 010 3703 or 012 748 9600 for more details of training taking place in your area or support offered to small businesses.
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