7107 Spaza Shop Registration Applications Were From Foreign Nationals: Lebogang Maile

• Gauteng's MEC for Finance and Economic Development, Lebogang Maile, said a significant number of registrations were submitted by foreign nationals owning spaza shops
• The deadline to register spaza shops was on 28 February 2025, and he noted that many spaza shops missed it
• He also revealed that thousands of spaza shops in the province are non-compliant

With 7 years at Daily Sun and Vutivi Business News, Tebogo Mokwena, a Briefly News journalist, provided coverage of current affairs, shedding light on critical social infrastructure challenges and unemployment.

GAUTENG — The Gauteng MEC for Finance and Economic Development, Lebogang Maile, said the provincial government received over 7000 registrations for spaza shops from foreign nationals. This was revealed in a media briefing after the 28 February 2025 spaza shop registration deadline.

Lebogang Maile gives spaza shop updates

Maile briefed the media on 3 March, where he updated the province on the registration process. The government embarked on a drive to register spaza shops in 2024 after scores of children died from food they allegedly purchased from foreign-owned spaza shops. The government declared food-borne deaths a national disaster, and President Cyril Ramaphosa announced the first deadline to register spaza shops.

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Maile posted an update on his @LebogangMaile1 X account. He said the government processed 7107 applications from foreign nationals. He remarked that they had to provide valid documentation. He added that a foreign national must invest R5 million into an existing business or provide proof that they have R5 million in capital contribution.

Read the tweets here:

What you need to know about spaza shops

• The government extended the deadline for spaza shops to register in December after thousands of spaza shops missed the deadline
• Maile revealed days before the deadline extension that over 2,600 foreign nationals applied to register their spaza shops
• President Cyril Ramaphosa revealed that more than 1000 spaza shops, warehouses and supermarkets were closed since the government raided spaza shops around the country

South Africans weigh in'

Netizens commenting on eNCA's Facebook post were angry and accused the government of not implementing the law for spaza shop owners that were noncompliant.

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Ben Denton said:

"The ANC is still running the country like it's their oenspaza shop. The GNU is nothing. The ANC are still ruling, stealing and destroying."

Xolani Sibisi said:

"I don't think anything will happen because they keep pushing the dates."

Tebogo Komane said:

"Stop lying. We all know that bribery will play a major role in all of this."

LA Thotlanizer said:

"Nothing will happen. A government that dismally fails to deal with porous borders: how will they win this spaza war?"

Clinton America asked:

"And what about corrupt politicians who are stealing? When are they going to face the full might of the law?"

T Ma Po said:

"Registered or not registered, spaza shops will continue selling nonsense."

Tshwane mayor calls for localisation of informal sector

In a related article, Briefly News reported that the mayor of Tshwane, Dr Nasiphi Moya, reiterated calls for the informal sector to be owned by locals, who should be prioritised over foreign nationals.

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Moya spoke during a media briefing where she gave an update on her 100 days since she was appointed as the city's mayor.

She said localisation would address high levels of unemployment and ensure that residents who want to provide for their families should do so. South Africans cheered for her stance.

Source: Briefly News