Pictures: City of Johannesburg
Spaza shop owners in Finetown are among small business operators being assisted by the City of Johannesburg to formalise their businesses, meet regulatory requirements and improve their access to government funding and business support. The initiative forms part of a wider registration and compliance drive led by the City’s Department of Economic Development (DED), in partnership with the Small Enterprise Development and Finance Agency (SEDFA) and Environmental Health.
Through the drive, 36 eligible spaza shop owners have so far been registered for the Spaza Shop Fund, which was announced by President Cyril Ramaphosa as part of efforts to support and strengthen township businesses. The engagements have provided business owners with practical assistance around business registration, compliance requirements and the application process, while also highlighting the importance of having the necessary health certificates and Certificates of Acceptability.
The engagement in Finetown is particularly significant for local spaza shop owners who rely on their businesses as a source of income and who may face challenges navigating government processes and understanding the requirements for accessing support. By taking the registration process into communities, the City is seeking to make it easier for business owners to receive information, address compliance gaps and take the necessary steps towards becoming eligible for available funding opportunities.
DED’s Benji Seitlhamo said the response from communities had been encouraging and that the registration drive had provided the City with an important opportunity to engage directly with spaza shop owners. He said the 36 valid registrations achieved so far represented an important first step in the City’s efforts to assist businesses through community-based engagements.
“As the City, we are very pleased with the turnout we have seen during the Spaza Shop Fund registration drive. So far, in collaboration with SEDFA, we have registered 36 valid spaza shop owners for the fund. This was an important first step for the City in undertaking this type of registration drive, and the positive response from communities is encouraging,” said Seitlhamo.
Seitlhamo said the registration process would not end with the engagements already conducted, as the City plans to continue working with communities and assist more spaza shop owners who have the required documentation. He also stressed that compliance should be viewed as an important part of building a sustainable business, as compliant enterprises are better positioned to benefit from government funding, business support programmes and other interventions aimed at growing the township economy.
For business owners in Finetown, access to this type of information can play an important role in helping them understand how government support programmes work and what is required to qualify. The sessions also create an opportunity for entrepreneurs to identify areas where their businesses may need to improve, particularly around registration, health requirements and other compliance measures that can affect their ability to access formal support.
Yaya Snyman, a tuck shop owner who attended one of the workshops, welcomed the engagement and said business owners need greater access to information that can help them strengthen their enterprises. She said information provided through initiatives of this nature can assist entrepreneurs in understanding the opportunities available to them while enabling them to make a greater contribution to the local township economy.
“These sessions are very important, especially for us as business owners and residents because we do not always receive enough information in our communities. We need this information to help us build our businesses and contribute to the growth of the township economy,” said Snyman.
The registration and compliance engagements were held in several communities, including Jabulani, Braamfontein, Finetown and Rabie Ridge, and form part of the City’s preparations for the Gauteng Spaza Shop and Informal Traders Summit and Expo 2026. The summit and expo are scheduled to take place on 17 and 18 September and are expected to bring together government representatives, spaza shop owners, informal traders, industry stakeholders and other partners.
The upcoming event will provide a platform to discuss some of the challenges faced by spaza shops and informal traders while also sharing information on compliance, business support, funding opportunities and ways of developing sustainable township enterprises. For business owners in Finetown and surrounding communities, the continued registration drive and upcoming summit could provide further opportunities to access information and support aimed at strengthening small businesses and contributing to economic activity within the township.
