Picture for illustrative purposes only. A customer is helped in a spaza shop in Soweto, 7 November 2023. Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni announced this week that an audit of spaza shops in villages and townships was imminent. Picture: Michel Bega/The Citizen
The government has clarified the application deadline for spaza shop registration, though confusion persists, with owners calling for an extension.
Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) Minister Velenkosini Hlabisa on Thursday clarified the registration timeline, addressing widespread confusion about the closing date.
The registration process, which began following President Cyril Ramaphosa’s 21-day window period announcement on 15 November, has already seen over 50 000 spaza shops apply for official documentation.
However, the deadline has been a source of uncertainty, with initial misunderstandings about the exact closing date.
The spaza shop owners are required to legally register their businesses with their respective municipalities after over 20 children died, and hundreds more have fallen ill throughout the country in the past few weeks after allegedly eating contaminated snacks from tuck shops and exposure to pesticides.
ALSO READ: Minister clarifies spaza shop registration deadline
Contrary to earlier reports suggesting a Friday, 13 December deadline, Cogta’s head of communications, Legadima Leso, confirmed that the actual registration deadline is Tuesday, 17 December.
“The 21 days began the Monday after the president’s address and did not include weekends,” Leso explained.
“If this coming Monday was not a public holiday, the deadline would have been Monday. A circular will be produced today to confirm that the deadline is Tuesday and not tomorrow. We are really sorry for any confusion.”
Shop owners must meet specific criteria to qualify for registration.
South African citizens and those with valid business licenses can apply.
Meanwhile, non-South African citizens must provide proof of lawful admission, including a valid passport with a business visa or an asylum seeker permit that allows them to operate a business.
ALSO READ: ‘The law can burn you’: Ramaphosa warns citizens against registering spaza shops for foreigners
The documentation requirements are comprehensive, including a registration application form, certified ID or passport copy, proof of residence, tax clearance certificate, and lease agreement (if applicable).
A title deed or right of occupancy, and detailed building plans for the shop comprising the layout and structural information are also required.
The City of Johannesburg shared 23 areas which are under seven regions where owners can register their shops.
These include:
During a media briefing on 6 December, ANC Secretary General Fikile Mbalula revealed striking statistics about the registration process.
KwaZulu-Natal emerged as the primary region of registration, accounting for 45% of all applications received. Most significantly, 93% of shops that have been shut down were foreign-owned.
Mbalula indicated that the government is actively exploring legislation to reserve small businesses like spaza shops exclusively for South African citizens, signalling potential significant changes for the sector.
As the registration application deadline approaches, shop owners are urged to ensure they have all necessary documentation prepared and to complete their applications before the Tuesday, 17 December cutoff.
ALSO READ: 51 788 spaza shops have applied for registration since Ramaphosa’s announcement – Mbalula
Several spaza shop representatives have called for an extension of the 21 days initially set by Ramaphosa.
They claimed that the period was insufficient to get their business in order, considering long queues as contributing factors to delayed registrations.
Member of the Township Economy Alliance (Tea) Bulelani Balabala told eNCA that a six-month period for registrations would be sufficient.
Balabala cited a lack of education and training regarding food safety, anxiety and confusion as some of the reasons they needed an extension.
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