Spaza shops have contributed greatly to the South African economy.
The small, informal, and often unlicensed grocery stores that are popular in townships and rural areas have been shaping the culture of communities in Johannesburg.
They have become social hubs and help locals who can't always travel to town, to get essential goods.
Some of the challenges that spaza shop owners often deal with is lack of funds and they do not always sell food that meet food safety standards.
The City of Johannesburg's Department of Economic Development (DED), in partnership with the Department of Small Business Development have launched the Spaza Shop Fund roadshow to help address some of these issues.
The two departments launched the R500 million Spaza Shop Support Fund on April 8.
According to City of Johannesburg's website, the fund will:
Strengthen the informal economy by supporting township and rural entrepreneurs
Help spaza shops formalise their businesses and improve competitiveness
Prioritise South African-owned spaza shops in townships and rural areas
The initiative is also aimed at boosting local markets and aiding spaza shop owners to meet food safety standards.
The sessions will cover:
Implementation of the Spaza Shop Fund
Progress on Johannesburg's spaza shop registration drive
Key challenges facing township retail businesses
Eligible spaza shop owners can receive up to R300 000 through a combination of grants and interest-free loan, states the statement on City of Johannesburg site.
The departments will be engaged in outreach campaigns from Monday, 26 May 2025, to Wednesday, 9 July 2025.
Find out more about where the outreaches would be here.
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