In a recent announcement by President Cyril Ramaphosa on Friday, 15 November 2024, spaza shop owners across the country are now required to register their businesses within the next 21 days in their respective municipalities.
This is part of a larger initiative to regulate informal businesses and ensure compliance with local laws.
In response to this directive, the MMC for Development Planning in the City of Johannesburg, Cllr Eunice Mgcina led a ByLaw Awareness Campaign in the Inner City on Tuesday, 19 November 2024.
The campaign, focused on enforcing compliance among spaza shops, resulted in the closure of multiple non-compliant foreign owned spaza shops.
During the inspection, authorities discovered that many of the non-compliant shops were operating in unsuitable conditions.
One foreign-owned spaza shop, for instance, was found in an industrial zone with the owner possessing an expired asylum permit. In addition to non-compliant permits, inspectors also seized various food items that were being repackaged into smaller units and sold without proper labeling, such as rice. Furthermore, a storeroom, meant for storing food items, was being used as a living area and shower space, raising serious concerns about hygiene and safety.
The City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality is taking these measures seriously to safeguard consumers and ensure all businesses operate within the legal framework. Shop owners are urged to comply with the registration requirement within the 21-day window or risk further penalties and closure.
Mgcina urged residents, local councillors, and officials to monitor closed stores and report any that reopen illegally or sell expired goods.
For more information on the campaign, watch the video on here:
