LISTEN | ‘Simplified’ registration for Gauteng spaza shops as deadline looms

The Gauteng provincial government says it has “simplified” the registration process for spaza shops operating in the province amid the three-week deadline imposed by the national government.

President Cyril Ramaphosa said last Friday that “spaza shops and other food handling facilities” had 21 days from the date of his address to ensure they were registered in the municipalities in which they operated. He ordered the closure of all spaza shops implicated in the deaths of children from food poisoning with immediate effect. 

Food poisoning cases have claimed the lives of more than 10 children in two months. The cause of the poisoning has not yet been traced, however the children were reported to have fallen sick after consuming food bought from spaza shops, street vendors or from school. 

Gauteng accounted for 10 of the food poisoning fatalities and one was from the Eastern Cape. Six primary schoolchildren died of poisoning allegedly after consuming snacks from a tuck shop in Naledi, Soweto, last month. 

Gauteng finance and economic development MEC Lebogang Maile held a media briefing on Tuesday to outline the provincial government's plan to help businesses with the registration process.

“The registration process has been simplified to ensure business owners are not [caught] up in red-tape while simultaneously ensuring compliance is achieved.

“There are various requirements that need to be met to ensure the successful registration of spaza shops.”

These include:

• A correctly filed application form that provides personal and business details;
• A certified and valid copy of a South African identity document;
• Proof of residence;
• Business registration with the CIPC;
• Proof of ownership or permission to use business premises;
• Zoning certificate and consent use or special consent use or comment from the municipal city planning department;
• A certificate of acceptability or comment from environmental health supporting the application; and
• The municipality-determined payment before a business licence may be issued.

Maile said foreign owners will have to provide documentation from home affairs “giving them authorisation to operate a business” in the country.

“This must be in the form of a valid business visa or work permit. The eligibility for a business visa, as per South African law, is that a foreign national must invest a prescribed amount of R5m into an existing business or provide a business plan with evidence of R5m capital contribution.

“Foreign nationals may establish a business which is of national interest to South Africa, as stipulated in the Industrial Policy Action Plan, for which there is no minimum capital investment required.”

Maile added that while the provincial government noted concerns raised by business owners on the tight deadline, they were bound by the president's announcement.

He encouraged those struggling, for one reason or another, to meet the deadline to use the government's Qondis’ Ishishini Lakho campaign.

Maile was unable to provide an update on the number of businesses that had registered since the announcement of the deadline.

“We will update you in terms of the numbers some time next week as we assess. At this point, we thought we must define the problem and make sure everybody understands what is required and where to go,” he said.

FULL LIST OF REGISTRATION CENTRES: 

Tshwane: Spectrum Building (Karen Park); Sammy Marks complex (Pretoria CBD), Kudu House (Sinoville); Hammanskraal municipal offices; Lyttelton municipal offices (Centurion); Rayton municipal offices; Shere Building (Shere); Bronkhorstspruit municipal offices (IEC Building); Mamelodi mini minitoria (municipal offices)

Mogale City: Magalies civic centre; Nelson Mandela Hall; Kroomdraai grounds; Hekpoort community hall; Muldersdrift sports complex; Munsieville hall; Pink hall; Azaadville hall; Swaneville hall; Kagisanong hall; Chief Mogale hall; Kagiso hall; Extension 12 hall; Centenary hall/Banquet hall.

West Rand: Ramosa hall; Mohlakeng Simunye multipurpose community hall; Bekkersdal Business Hives/Gwayk office; Wria LED offices; Badirile multipurpose community centre (MPCC); Thusanang community library; Glenhavie school; Ventersport primary school; Randfontein LED office; Toekomsrus business hive; Blandvlei community hall; Zuurbekom clinic; Zenzele ofiice; Finsbury new sports facility waterworks (Blacky’s Place)

Ekurhuleni: All Customer Care Centres

Emfuleni: Saul Tsotetsi sports complex (Sebokeng); Bophelong community hall; Full Gospel church (Sharpeville); Mafatsana community hall (Evaton); Vereeniging/Vanderbiljpark municipal offices

Lesedi: Municipal offices (Heidelberg CBD); Ratanda community library; Impumelelo community library

Johannesburg: Alexandra MPCC (98th Avenue, Patterson Park and Altrek); Meadowlands municipal offices (next to the court); Orlando municipal offices; Protea Municipal Offices (next to magistrate's court); Jabulani municipal offices; Eureka House (South); CJ Cronje Building; Ennerdale civic centre; Lord Khanyile community hall (Ivory Park); Rabie Ridge community hall; Diepsloot youth centre; Neighbourhood centre (Extension 7); Laanglagte offices (Cnr Avon and Laanglagte); Roodepoort city hall; Roodepoort civic centre; Cosmos City MPCC; Braamfischerville MPCC; Tshepisong community centre; Doornkop Community Centre

Midvaal: Municipal offices (Meyerton); Sicelo community hall; Vaal Marina/Mamello; Lakeside multipurpose centre; De Deur municipal offices (activity room)

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