Gauteng MEC of Finance and Economic Development Lebogang Maile has announced that Gauteng province has received over 13,000 applications for spaza shop registrations.

This includes over 2,000 applications from foreign nationals.

He said close to 2,000 application forms are incomplete.

The deadline is on Friday, December 13, 2024.

The call for spaza shop registration was announced by President Cyril Ramaphosa in a bid to curb the food poisoning incidents that have claimed the lives of more than 23 children..

The children are believed to have died after consuming contaminated snacks bought from illegal foreign-owned spaza shops operated by undocumented foreigners.

The move for registration was also intended to curb hazardous pesticide chemicals including Terbufos and Aldicarb, which we found in the snacks consumed by the children.

Addressing the media on the registration process in the province on Wednesday in Bramley, Johannesburg, Maila said they have received over 13,000 application forms for spaza shop registrations by December 10, 2024.

“As of the 10th of December 2024, the number of spaza shops issued with registration forms stands at 13,616, of which 1,916 (some of the applications are incomplete, missing critical supporting documents) have been returned,” Maile said.

He added that at present, 2,605 applications have been submitted by foreign national spaza shop owners, primarily from the City of Tshwane, Ekurhuleni, West Rand District Municipality, which comprises of Merafong, Rand West City and Mogale City local municipalities and the Sedibeng District Municipality - including of Emfuleni, Midvaal and Lesedi local municipalities.

Maile stressed that the current engagement with township commercial property owners has aided in improving regulation numbers.

He said the registration process has been simplified to ensure that business owners are not consumed in red tape, while simultaneously ensuring that compliance is achieved.

“Additionally, three municipalities, including City of Johannesburg, City of Tshwane and City of Ekurhuleni, have digitized their application process, while other municipalities are in various stages of the digitization of the process,” he said.

Maile said this is happening as municipalities are working on establishing by-laws on spaza shop ownership.

He disclosed that to date, a total of 541 spaza shops have been closed for non-compliance.

“Non-compliant businesses include those without Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CICP) registration which is a legal requirement for operating a business in South Africa,” he said.

He said other issues of non-compliance include a lack of certificates of acceptability or comment from environmental health and non-payment of operating licenses that are obtained from municipalities.

“Businesses operating from unsafe premises and within a hazardous environment have also been closed for non-compliance,” Maile added.

With the spaza shop registration looming, tuck shops owners have been rushing to municipalities across the country to beat the approaching deadline.

IOL Politics