The City of Johannesburg is intensifying efforts to strengthen the township economy through increased support for spaza shops and informal traders, with more than 4 000 registration applications processed across the City’s seven regions.
Executive Mayor Dada Morero said the City has processed 4 043 spaza shop registration applications and has made progress in the Gauteng Spaza Shop Fund drive in partnership with the Small Enterprise Development Finance Agency (SEDFA), with 39 beneficiaries already approved. The City has also issued more than 500 smart permit cards from the more than 2 000 cards that have been printed.
Morero was speaking at the Gauteng Spaza Shop and Informal Traders Summit & Expo 2026, currently taking place at the University of Johannesburg’s Soweto Campus under the theme “Compliance, Regulation & Innovation.”
The two-day summit which is a partnership between Department of Economic Development and Business Culture brings together spaza shop owners, informal traders, government stakeholders, business support organisations and other key players to engage on the challenges and opportunities facing township businesses and the informal economy.
Mayor Morero said the summit should look beyond permits and funding to tackle the broader structural challenges facing township businesses.
“It has to address who has access to land, infrastructure and economic opportunities in this city and who, even today, remains pushed to its margins,” said Morero.
He said the City would this year approve the Township Economy By-law, building on the 2022 Informal Trading Policy, as part of efforts to create an enabling environment for township businesses to grow.
“Through our High-Rise Markets of the Future, we are turning sites like Kwa Mai Mai, Faraday and Yeoville from neglected buildings into modern trading infrastructure over the next five years. The Gauteng Legislature has already passed the Township Economic Development Act, which compels the state in Gauteng to use its procurement capability to benefit township businesses and localise special economic zones,” he said.
The City’s Department of Economic Development said the registration process should not be confused with the approval of trading permits, noting that registration enables businesses to begin the process of formalisation and compliance.
DED’s Executive Director Matopane Masha said the summit provides an opportunity for entrepreneurs and stakeholders to exchange ideas and develop practical solutions that can strengthen township businesses.
Masha said the City had made progress in assisting businesses to meet compliance requirements and would continue taking its support programmes into the City’s seven regions.
“Over the past month, City departments have been engaging businesses in different regions through focused discussions aimed at helping entrepreneurs understand and meet compliance requirements, including those related to permits,” he said.
“We really don’t want compliance to be a stumbling block for the growth of businesses in our townships. We will continue supporting and helping businesses to comply and make sure that they are able to grow their businesses as well,” said Masha.
A representative from the South African Reserve Bank’s Currency Management Department said the institution was participating in the summit to educate spaza shop owners and informal traders on the safe handling and authentication of banknotes, as well as how to identify counterfeit and dye-stained cash.
The representative said the initiative forms part of efforts to empower businesses that regularly transact in cash and protect them from accepting counterfeit currency. The Reserve Bank is also showcasing its commemorative circulation coins and educating the public about their status and use as legal tender.
Meanwhile, Boitumelo Mahlangu, a small business owner from Pimville, Soweto, said access to practical information was important for entrepreneurs seeking to strengthen their businesses.
Mahlangu said information on compliance requirements was particularly valuable because it could assist small businesses in meeting the necessary requirements and accessing available funding opportunities.
The Gauteng Spaza Shop and Informal Traders Summit & Expo 2026 continues 18 September 2026 at the University of Johannesburg’s Soweto Campus.
SUPPLIED.
