Only eight applications from foreign-owned spaza shops in Johannesburg have been approved so far.
Municipalities across Gauteng have reported varying numbers of business licence applications as the extended deadline of February 28 looms.
The Gauteng department of finance and economic development has indicated that a significant portion of the applications have been from foreign nationals.
Approvals for foreign-owned spaza shops and food-handling facilities remain limited, with only a small percentage of these applications being approved.
In the City of Johannesburg, 2,179 applications have been received, 593 of which are from foreigners , while the City of Tshwane reports having received 4,109 applications, with 1,879 from foreigners. Other municipalities, such as Sedibeng and Rand West City, also show a high number of applications from foreign-owned businesses.
Castro Ngobese, the department's spokesperson, said from the applications received from foreigners in the City of Joburg, only eight were approved.
In Tshwane, 148 applications have been approved, while 564 were rejected pending submission of relevant documents, he said.
“A total of 343 applications from foreign nationals have been processed and are awaiting confirmation from the department of home affairs (DHA) and the SA Revenue Service (Sars) while 20 have been approved. A total of 780 certificates of acceptability (COAs) have been issued,” Ngobese said.
Sedibeng District Municipality, which comprises the Midvaal, Emfuleni and Lesedi local municipalities, has received 2,688 applications — 1,260 of them from foreign nationals.
Ngobese said 28 of these applications have been approved, with none being from spaza shops or food-handling facilities owned by foreign nationals.
To date, he said 27 COAs have been issued by the municipality.
Of the 150 applications received by the Rand West City Local Municipality, Ngobese said 125 are from facilities owned by foreign nationals, and no applications have been approved yet.
In the City of Ekurhuleni, 109 COAs have been issued to date. In Merafong City Local Municipality, 58 business licence applications have been received to date, while 52 applications by foreign nationals have been received. Thus far, no applications from foreign nationals have been approved. A total of 22 COAs have been issued by the municipality.
“In Mogale City Local Municipality, 93 applications have been received. The total number of applications approved is 34, with 12 of them being from foreign nationals,” Ngobese said.
He added that 107 COAs have been approved in the municipality.
Ngobese said 7,802 inspections have been conducted in Johannesburg, with 1,444 of the spaza shops and food-handling facilities found to be noncompliant.
He said 243 spaza shops and food-handling facilities have been closed due to noncompliance with environmental health and safety standards.
While demolitions may occur as a last resort, the Gauteng government is working to expedite regularisation processes over the next two months.
— Castro Ngobese, department of finance and economic development spokesperson
In Tshwane, 5,851 inspections have been conducted, with 1,905 found to be noncompliant and 48 closed.
In Ekurhuleni 9,433 inspections have been conducted, with 8,848 shop found to be noncompliant and five closed.
“In Mogale City Local Municipality, 2,351 inspections have been conducted, with 23 spaza shops and food-handling facilities being found non-compliant. No facility has been closed. In the Sedibeng District Municipality, 927 joint inspections have been conducted, with 30 being found non-compliant. No facility has been closed.”
Ngobese said inspections are yet to be conducted in Rand West City Local Municipality.
He said compliance remains a challenge across municipalities, particularly with spaza shops facing zoning issues, and while demolitions may occur as a last resort, the Gauteng government is working to expedite regularisation processes over the next two months.
Ngobese confirmed that the provincial government is working with home affairs, Sars, and law enforcement to address fraudulent documentation and ensure foreign nationals comply with legal and health standards, with noncompliant businesses being shut down.
He said 7,148 spaza shops and food-handling facilities in Gauteng have received training, with 372 interventions completed, though training is yet to be implemented in Mogale City.
Geo mapping of spaza shops and food-handling facilities is ongoing across provinces, with trained business regulation officers supporting Gauteng municipalities and assisting with onboarding on DSBD Connect.
He said the provincial government is actively conducting inspections and investigations to enforce shutdowns of spaza shops and food-handling facilities that continue to operate after being closed.
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