Foreigners may reconsider owning spaza shops: ADF

The African Diaspora Forum (ADF), which represents the interests of foreign nationals in the country, says that its members have met with hostility from community members while trying to register their township spaza shops, in line with President Cyril Ramaphosa’s recent announcement.

Spaza shop owners have until December 13 to register their businesses. This is a government measure to deal with the issue of food-borne illnesses that have claimed the lives of over 20 children in different provinces.

ADF chairperson Amir Sheik says their members may have to reconsider being part of the spaza shop business.

“They are using every means possible to prevent our members, it’s been sometimes very hostile—there is intimidation, interference, and the use of actually vulgar language. We urge our members—where they see they’re hostile, they may be assaulted, they don’t have to go while we actually look for a remedy.

There are a lot of actually stringent measures that our members, even those who are successful and have gone to the municipality, take – the process is too tedious, the process is too stringent, and they may not get the desired result out of that. Our members need to reconsider these businesses because it is actually becoming more of a burden than actually a gain,” adds Sheik.

PODCAST | Spaza shops registration process and challenges faced by foreign nationals