Health and safety take centre stage at Kouga Spaza Shop Workshop

In a firm step towards bolstering public health and safety, Kouga Local Municipality’s Environmental Health Section empowered local entrepreneurs at a Spaza Shop Workshop hosted in KwaNomzamo and Hankey on 18 and 19 June.

Spaza shop owners gathered for two days of critical training, geared towards improving compliance with national food safety legislation and strengthening everyday hygiene practices.

The sessions unpacked the intricate requirements of the Foodstuffs, Cosmetics and Disinfectants Act (Act 54 of 1972) – a cornerstone of South Africa’s health framework – and shed light on how small business owners can meet legal standards while fostering a safer food environment for their communities.

“These sessions were not a checkbox exercise – they were a declaration of intent: that public health begins not only in hospitals and clinics, but in the very heart of the neighbourhood spaza shops. It was about equipping our local food vendors with the knowledge to protect lives,” said a municipal health official. “When our shopkeepers are informed, our communities are safer.”

Essential Topics

The workshop covered a wide range of essential topics, including:

• Food safety and hygiene protocols, from personal cleanliness to environmental upkeep.
• Minimum health standards for food premises, including storage, ventilation and illumination.
• Regulations on labelling, advertising, and transporting foodstuffs.
• The dangers of pest infestation and illegal dumping, and how to tackle them.
• Prohibition orders and the risks associated with sleeping in business premises.
• Law enforcement and the issuing of fines.
• Complying with town planning and building legislation and requirements.

By directly addressing 201 spaza shops across the Kouga region, the municipality reaffirmed its commitment to health education and economic support. The initiative also highlighted the strategic role of informal retailers in the wider public health ecosystem. A role often overlooked but vital in many low-income communities.

Kouga Spaza Shop Workshop

“Public health does not start in hospitals or clinics alone. It begins right in our communities, in places like the local spaza shops,” said Kouga Executive Mayor, Hattingh Bornman. “By empowering our food vendors with the right knowledge, we are taking vital steps to protect lives and build safer, healthier neighbourhoods for all.”