Millions Approved for Spaza Shop Support Fund but Hundreds Fail Compliance Checks

Millions approved for spaza shop support fund but hundreds fail compliance checks

The government has approved R179.6 million in funding for more than 2 300 spaza shops across South Africa, despite ongoing compliance and licensing challenges that continue to prevent many applicants from accessing support. The funding forms part of the R500 million spaza shop support fund launched last year by the Department of Small Business Development (DSBD) and the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (DITC) to strengthen South Afr…

GOVERNMENT APPROVES R179.6 MILLION FOR SPAZA SHOP SUPPORT

Sat 30 May 2026: Despite compliance challenges among applicants to the R500 million Spaza Shop Support Fund, government has approved R179.6 million in funding to support shop owners across all nine provinces.  The fund, aimed at increasing the participation of South African-owned spaza shops in the townships and rural areas retail trade sector, was launched […]

R179 Million In Support Approved For Qualifying Spaza Shops : The Africa

Government has announced that municipalities in all nine provinces around the country have registered 82 000 spaza shops. It has stressed that traders must ensure they meet the licensing requirement

Spaza Shop Fund disburses R180m but compliance gaps persist

By Thebe Mabanga The government’s Spaza Shop Support Fund has disbursed about R180 million to 2,369 businesses, but officials say compliance with registration, health and environmental requirements remains a significant challenge. The Department of Small Business Development and the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (DTIC) provided an update on the R500 million programme, which is being implemented through the Small Enterprise Develo…