More than 150 Spaza Shop owners and entrepreneurs who attended an outreach awareness session hosted by the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (the dtic) and the Department of Small Business Development (DSDB) in Ndwendwe, KwaZulu-Natal, hailed government intervention in funding and assisting local owners through the newly launched Spaza Shop Support Fund.
Local spaza shop owner, Mr Musawenkosi Mkhize who attended the session, said the intervention came at the right time when a lot of the owners were struggling to keep their shops open as competition is rife in the area.
“We have long engaged the local and provincial government to assist in regulating and investing in our local businesses so that we can compete with foreign-owned shops that sell products and food at a cheaper price. I am glad that government has taken a positive step in directing their efforts in assisting all of us that you see today. It is long overdue, but we as a collective are happy with the intervention,” said Mkhize.
When asked if he already applied for funding from the fund, Mkhize indicated that he had some few outstanding documents that he needed to gather in order to qualify for the fund.
Speaking at the same event, the Chief Executive Officer of the Enterprise Ilembe Economic Development Agency, Mr Siyabonga Mazibuko said as of February 2025, the district had processed and registered 1,395 Spaza Shops in the iLembe District Municipality alone.
“This number includes the 430 Spaza Shops in the Ndwendwe area, with some spaza shops being compliant, and some being non-compliant. Out of this total number, only 250 met the criteria, and 13 were issued with business licences. During our inspection, non-compliant businesses were advised accordingly on how to be compliant. At first, the owners are given a window period to comply, then from there on, if they continue to be non-compliant, they are closed,” said Mazibuko.
Mazibuko pointed out that some of the non-compliant shops they have encountered previously continue to operate as if there are no law enforcement agencies in the local municipality. He encouraged the locals to take this opportunity and apply for the fund.
Enquiries:
Bongani Lukhele
Director: Media Relations
Cell: 079 5083 457
WhatsApp: 074 2998 512
E-mail: BLukhele@thedtic.gov.za
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