The clock on the extension for spaza shop owners to register their businesses within their local municipalities is fast running out, and one Witsie is doing his bit to help.
BroughtCargo, founded in 2022 by Wits medical student Lethabo Maphopha, supports spaza shops by supplying bulk products and hosting workshops on registration and food storage best practices.
Speaking to Wits Vuvuzela Maphopha said: “We teach shop owners about hygiene, storing food items separately in the fridge to avoid cross contamination and to avoid the use of pesticides that are associated with food poisoning and share booklets that educate on food handling.”
In November 2024, 23 people in Gauteng died because of food borne-related poisoning after consuming food from spaza shops. Most of the deaths were children aged between 6 and 9.
In addition to that number at least 441 cases of food poisoning were reported in the Gauteng province that year.
In efforts to address this challenge President Cyril Ramaphosa announced the compulsory registration of spaza shops to ensure compliance with standard health and safety regulations. The failure to comply would result in indefinite closure.
BroughtCargo, with the help of the Momentum Foundation, jumped at the opportunity to expand operations to assist with these registrations. In addition to registrations the partnership extends financial advice, access to funding opportunities, and financial literacy education. So far, over 500 informal businesses have benefited from the partnership.
There are usually two distinct processes when registering, the first is business compliance which is mandatory for any food handling business. The second is compliance with health regulations, should a business fail to comply with the necessary health regulations they will be forced to shut down despite having done the first process.
With only a few days left to register, and another extension unlikely, spaza shop owners have one final chance to join some of the 20 000 shops already approved.
FEATURED IMAGE: A consumer purchasing goods at a spaza shop in Diepkloof Soweto. Photo by: Katlego Mtshali
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