Hundreds of licences issued in spaza shop registration

Staff Reporter|Published 1 month ago

The eThekwini Municipality said it is encouraged by the turnout as spaza shop owners continue to register their businesses. So far 250 spaza shops have received their business licensesPicture: SUPPLIED

More than 4 600 spaza shop owners have successfully registered their businesses. This follows national government’s extension of the registration deadline to February 28, 2025.

Since registration began in November last year, 250 of the registered businesses have completed all the necessary steps, including the mandatory 21-day waiting period, and have now received their official business licenses.

This process involves submitting all required departmental documents, passing inspections by the Environmental Health Practitioners and Safety and Fire Officers, and meeting other compliance checks. For foreign nationals, proof of a valid work permit was also verified with the Department of Home Affairs.

eThekwini Mayor Councillor Cyril Xaba expressed satisfaction with the turnout, calling it an encouraging sign of the sector’s commitment to working with the municipality to ensure compliance and safety.

“This shows that spaza shop owners are committed to partnering with eThekwini Municipality to promote safer communities. We urge all spaza shop owners to continue registering, as it will help improve compliance standards, reduce health and safety risks, and unlock potential development opportunities,” said Mayor Xaba.

For those who have not yet registered, additional opportunities are available. eThekwini Municipality has scheduled a series of business information sharing workshops in February across multiple wards. These workshops will provide detailed information on all things business licensing and offer on-site registration assistance.

The upcoming workshops will take place as follows:

• February 4: Ntuzuma A Hall, Ward 38

• February 5: Burlington Sports Ground, Ward 65

• February 12: Soul Harvest Church (PS Nogoni), White Tent, Opposite Checksave at the Westrich Taxi Rank, Ward 36

• February 19: Belvedere Hall, Ward 61

• February 26: Magabheni Community Hall, Ward 99

Mayor Xaba issued a stern warning to those who believe they can avoid registering their spaza shop.

“We will not tolerate non-compliance. In the last quarter of 2024, we issued 457 notices to businesses that failed to comply. These businesses now face the risk of prosecution and possible shutdown by law enforcement, including the South African Police Services (SAPS) and the Metro Police. In extreme cases, businesses found to pose an immediate danger to public health are closed by the Environmental Health Unit,” he said.

The municipality is also in the process of uploading the names of legally registered spaza shops to its website, which will increase transparency and accountability within the sector, the Mayor added. Spaza shop owners are encouraged to visit their local regional licensing office or attend one of the upcoming workshops for further information and to complete their registration.

For more details, refer to the social card listing the addresses of all the eThekwini Municipality Business Licensing Regional Offices.