Pretoria: Government has encouraged all spaza shop owners and vendors to register their businesses with their local municipality by the end of the week. ‘Spaza shops must be registered to ensure that food safety laws are followed, and dangerous goods are taken off the market, keeping children safe and preventing future outbreaks,’ the Government Communication and Information System (GCIS) said.

According to South African Government News Agency, shop owners have until Friday, 28 February 2025, to register their businesses. Application forms for registration or permits to conduct business can be accessed physically at the municipal offices or on the municipality website. The registration of a business takes one day, and people are advised not to wait until the last day to register.

The GCIS emphasized, ‘Citizens are reminded that registering a spaza shop on behalf of another person is a criminal offense. The Immigration Act of 2002 clearly states that it is a criminal offense to assist an illegal foreigner to conduct any business in the country and to assist an illegal foreigner to obtain a licence to conduct any business.’

For more information on the registration process, individuals are directed to visit: https://www.sanews.gov.za/features-south-africa/guide-register-spaza-shops.

Last year, President Cyril Ramaphosa extended the registration deadline for all spaza shops and food handling outlets after initially announcing the registration directive in November 2024. This extension follows a serious incident involving foodborne illnesses, which resulted in over 890 cases and nearly 30 deaths since September 2024. In October last year, six primary school children from Naledi, Soweto, died after allegedly eating snacks from a foreign-owned local spaza shop.