Latest News & Developments
In a remarkable testament to resilience, 1. 9 million South Africans operated non-VAT registered businesses in 2023, a significant increase from 1. 5 million a decade earlier.
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The fund, aimed at empowering and skilling South African-born spaza shop owners and other food handling businesses with training, skills, and funds to inject into their business, comes after spaza shop owners were given until February 28 to register their businesses following a wave of food-borne fatalities in Soweto and other parts of the country.
South African-born spaza shop owners are encouraged to cease leasing their businesses to undocumented immigrants, as a new R500 million support fund is introduced to empower local entrepreneurs.
Government ministers have unveiled a R500 million Spaza Shop Support Fund in Soweto, urging South African shop owners to stop leasing properties to undocumented immigrants. The initiative aims to return the township economy to local hands through financial support and skills development, with Minister Ndabeni-Abrahams revealing that only 53% of registered spaza shops are South African-owned.
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Thousands of spaza shops in South Africa are closing due to stringent registration requirements imposed by Cogta.
Police have arrested two suspects, including an undocumented Zimbabwean national found with an illegal firearm, following the fatal shooting of six community patrollers in Soshanguve. While families of victims express mixed reactions about whether justice will be served, Minister Mchunu links border management issues to rising crime rates.
South African townships are experiencing a digital renaissance, with entrepreneurs like Monde Ntoyanto leading the charge. This exploration of township connectivity reveals how digital infrastructure is creating unprecedented opportunities for innovation and growth in these communities.
On February 9, South Africa marks 70 years since the forced removal of Sophiatown residents, a painful chapter in the nation's history that continues to resonate with descendants today
Political leaders shared their mixed reactions to President Cyril Ramaphosa’s State of the Nation Address 2025, highlighting praise, disappointment and calls for accountability.
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Sibusiso Ngcobo, deputy secretary general and head of business development at the South African Spaza Shop and Tuckshops Association (SASTA), said the extension of the deadline was welcome.
‘Consequently, marginalised individuals are often forced to rely on inexpensive food options to make ends meet. And these intersecting forms of oppression exacerbate the structural violence experienced by residents living in townships. ’
ActionSA will be marching in Soweto, Gauteng to call for the localisation of all spaza shops.
According to the 2023/2024 Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) report, two in five adults in South Africa know someone who has recently started a business.
‘These are the people responsible for the deaths of our children and you are here with them. Why are South Africans like this. ’
‘If you’re not South African, the law should prohibit you from owning a spaza shop. ’
Seven days have passed since President Cyril Ramaphosa issued a notice to spaza shops across the country to register for a traders' permit.
According to the World Bank only 25% of the money generated in townships is spent there. It is suggested that the government ought to develop new, or revisit existing, policies seeking to address legacy dysfunctions of Apartheid in the townships and their economies.
All spaza shops and other food handling facilities must be registered within the municipalities in which they operate within 21 days.
KwaZulu-Natal convenes a special meeting to discuss new municipal by-laws aimed at boosting local economies and addressing alarming foodborne illnesses that have affected children.
Recently, a number of young individuals in townships across the country have died, with many speculating that these incidents are linked to a series of food contamination events.
The department noted that municipal officials would assist applicants in the process, ensuring timely approvals and smooth operations for new and existing businesses.