Government ramps up support to help spaza shops access R500 million fund
Government is stepping up efforts to help thousands of spaza shop owners formalise their businesses, meet compliance requirements and access financial support through the R500 million Spaza Shop Support Fund, as part of a broader drive to strengthen township and rural economies.
The Department of Small Business Development (DSBD), in partnership with the South African Local Government Association (SALGA), is finalising a nationwide process aimed at assisting small and informal businesses with registration and compliance requirements.
The initiative seeks to address one of the biggest barriers facing informal businesses by helping entrepreneurs meet the requirements needed to access government support and participate more fully in the formal economy.
As part of this intervention, government will once again roll out a nationwide outreach and awareness campaign from June 2026 to encourage more qualifying spaza shop owners to apply for the fund. The campaign is expected to provide practical guidance to business owners on meeting application requirements, improving compliance and accessing funding opportunities to grow and sustain their enterprises.
