Expired Food, Hygiene Concerns: City of Joburg Cracks Down on Orange Farm Spaza Shops

• The City of Johannesburg shut down several spaza shops in Orange Farm after officials discovered expired food, unsafe gas cylinder storage and hygiene concerns
• Inspectors also found a cat inside one of the grocery stores and raised concerns about businesses operating under unsafe conditions
• The crackdown forms part of the City’s intensified operation against non-compliant shops following community complaints

JOHANNESBURG - Expired food products, dangerous gas bottles, and unhygienic conditions were uncovered during a major City of Johannesburg raid targeting spaza shops in Orange Farm yesterday, 25 May 2026.

The multi-disciplinary by-law enforcement operation targeted businesses operating near the Drieziek Transport Facility and surrounding areas following complaints from community members about unsafe trading conditions.

Various violations were found in different stores

During the operation, officials uncovered numerous serious violations at various stores. At one premises, authorities found expired food items that included Stameta, vegetables, soft porridge and tomato sauce. Officials said the sale of expired products posed a major risk to public health and consumer safety.

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Inspectors also discovered several gas cylinders being stored at one of the businesses. The cylinders included four 48kg gas bottles, five 9kg bottles and one 3kg bottle. Officials raised concerns about the possible danger linked to storing large gas cylinders at commercial premises without proper safety compliance measures.

See X post from the City of Johannesburg here:

Foreign national found living in the store

At another store, officials found that the business was operated by a foreign national who only had asylum documentation. Authorities also observed that the operator appeared to be living inside the same premises used for grocery trading.

Officials also found a pet cat inside one of the grocery stores where food was being stored and sold. Following the inspections, stores found to be non-compliant were shut down.

The City said follow-up inspections will be conducted next week to check whether the businesses have addressed the violations and complied with health regulations and by-laws.

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Residents have also been encouraged to continue reporting suspicious or non-compliant businesses in their communities to help authorities act against unlawful operations.

City raids MTN Butchery on Johannesburg CBD

In related news, just the previous week, the City of Johannesburg conducted another raid in the CBD. The raid resulted in the arrest of the manager and HR manager of MTN Butchery, along with five undocumented foreign nationals allegedly found working at the store. Some workers were reportedly found hiding on top of refrigerators as officers conducted a search. They were later removed and detained. Officials said the initiative forms part of ongoing efforts to restore order and improve service delivery in the inner city.

Crackdown on the infamous Summit Nightclub

Previously, Briefly News reported that the Summit Club in Hillbrow, a nightlife venue that reportedly attracts patrons from around the world, faced mounting scrutiny after it emerged that the establishment owes the City of Johannesburg R2.6 million in unpaid electricity bills and is allegedly in violation of several municipal regulations. Johannesburg Mayor Dada Morero posted a video on 13 January 2026 showing city officials inspecting the property as part of ongoing enforcement operations.

Source: Briefly News