40% of Northern Cape Spaza shops registered before deadline: MEC

With two days to go before the deadline for the registration of spaza shops and other food businesses, about 40% of these businesses in the Northern Cape have successfully registered to operate.

MEC for Cooperative Governance, Human Settlements and Traditional Affairs Bentley Vass says in the province over 2 500 business operators applied and only 1 209 have been approved.

Businesses have been warned that there will be no extension to the looming deadline of February 28th.

In November last year, President Cyril Ramaphosa ordered that all business operators in this sector be registered following the death of children due to food-borne illnesses.

MEC Vass elaborates, “We remind all businesses to register before the deadline of 28 February 2025 and we applaud those who have already registered. We are happy that over 1 200 applications have been approved by the municipalities. This will assist the government to assist this important sector of the economy and to ensure that we preserve lives. We are also happy that at this stage, a total of 20 municipalities of the 26 have already adopted standard by-laws to regulate the industry and ensure continued compliance with the legislation.”