Spaza shops to be granted chance to finalise registration process

A man looks at an item before buying at a spaza shop in Thembisa, on the East Rand, in South Africa.

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Small Business Development Minister, Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams, says spaza shops and food handling outlets owners that have applied for registration and are yet to finalise the process will not be penalised.

Spaza shop owners had until Friday last week to register their businesses for compliance.

She has clarified that spaza shops that have yet to confirm their registration status, due to the lack of online registration facilities in their municipalities, will not be penalised.

Ndabeni-Abrabams was addressing members of the media in Pretoria this afternoon.

“We want to say to all those that have registered or adhered to the call to go and register their businesses, and those that are within their constitutional right to do business, but are still awaiting the processes in terms of their outcomes as they are led by their municipalities, will not be penalised. It is important that we emphasise this point, because some businesses did adhere to the president’s call, and went to register but because other municipalities are still undertaking manual processes, and the confirmation of certain documentation, which means it’s not the fault of the business owners. This is why we’re saying, those businesses will not be penalised,” she says.

VIDEO| Minister Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams’ briefing on spaza shop registration deadline:

Ndabeni-Abrahams also touched on a number of issues, including the half a billion-rand intervention fund aimed at supporting small businesses.

“The R500 million spaza support fund aims to achieve economies of scale by linking spaza shops and food handling outlets to buying in groups for bulk purchasing. Many businesspeople have complained that they were not able to get discounts. Now, we are trying to encourage them to work together so that they can be able to buy in bulk,” she adds.