Major retail store forced to shut down in South Africa
The City of Tshwane forced Shoprite in Bronkhorstspruit to close its doors last week (22 October) after it was found to be trading without valid permits, according to the city.
The shutdown forms part of the municipality’s ongoing Clean Governance and Law Enforcement Campaign, which aims to restore order, safety, and accountability in the city’s business environment.
Tshwane Mayor Nasiphi Moya personally led the operation in Bronkhorstspruit, warning that the city will no longer tolerate businesses that disregard local laws.
“No brand is above the law. If you want to trade in Tshwane, you must comply with our regulations,” she said.
According to the city, a Shoprite outlet and a KFC were found to be trading without updated trading licenses.
The city indicated that Shoprite Group may face further penalties for allowing franchise outlets to operate without proper permits.
Moya added that these efforts are part of a broader strategy to ensure that all businesses—whether large retailers or small traders—operate legally and responsibly.
“We are building a law-abiding city. Businesses must respect our people, our by-laws, and our standards,” she added.
The City of Tshwane has ramped up enforcement efforts in recent months, extending its inspections to key business areas across the metro, including Hammanskraal and the Pretoria CBD.
Officials confirmed that the Bronkhorstspruit crackdown is just one of many planned compliance operations as part of the Clean Governance initiative.
Since the beginning of the year, Moya has joined several by-law enforcement teams in raids across Pretoria, where dozens of businesses have been closed for similar violations.
In one major operation in August, the city shut down trading activities at the Marabastad retail market after it was discovered that numerous traders were operating without the required permits.
That operation, carried out in collaboration with the Department of Home Affairs and the South African Police Service, inspected 43 businesses in the area.
Some traders were issued compliance notices, while two businesses were disconnected from illegal electricity connections. In total, seven shops and 20 stalls were closed immediately.
City criticised for its heavy-handed approach
Moya said the decision to close the market was based on the city’s street trading by-laws, which require all vendors to hold valid trading permits.
“Trading without permits is illegal in Tshwane, and that is why the economic development and spatial planning department recommended the Marabastad retail market be closed,” she said at the time.
According to Moya, 341 premises were checked in August alone. Of those, 175 were found to be compliant, while 166 failed to meet regulatory standards.
The operations led to 135 statutory notices and 29 fines, totalling R125,000, being issued to offending businesses.
While the mayor maintains that these actions are necessary to enforce the law and promote fair business practices, not everyone supports the city’s methods.
Some critics argue that the abrupt shutdown of businesses—often without prior warning—has severe consequences for employees and small traders who depend on these operations for their livelihoods.
Earlier this year, a business owner in Mamelodi took the City of Tshwane to court after their store was closed for alleged compliance issues.
The court ruled that the city could not arbitrarily shut down legally operating businesses, reaffirming that enforcement must be carried out fairly and within the bounds of the law.
Following the ruling, the Democratic Alliance (DA) criticised the city’s heavy-handed approach.
The party said that while businesses must comply with regulations, enforcement should not destroy jobs or undermine the local economy.
“The ruling reaffirms a principle that the DA has long stood for: businesses must comply with regulations, but enforcement must be carried out in a way that protects livelihoods and supports the local economy, not destroys them,” the DA said in a statement.
“Heavy-handed closures do nothing but push more South Africans into poverty and unemployment.”
The DA added that the City should adopt a “balanced, supportive approach” that helps traders become compliant rather than punishing them outright.
It also called for the implementation of a council-backed strategy focused on clear guidelines, permit regulation, and support mechanisms to help small businesses meet legal requirements.
In response to the closure, Shoprite told BusinessTech that the store did not receive a prohibition of trade notice by any of the regulators that visited the branch and therefore should not have been closed.
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