Spaza shop owner courses in South Africa
Spaza shops, tuckshops, street traders, home bakers and online food sellers.
- SAATCA-registered TC 065
- FoodBev SETA-accredited 587/00337/1900
- QR-verified certificates
- No VAT added
Which courses does a spaza shop owner or informal trader need?
Under Regulation R638 10(1)(a) the spaza or stall owner is the person in charge and needs Food Safety Practices for Persons in Charge of Food Premises (16 hours, R1 699). You and your helpers then take Food Safety Practices for Informal Traders and Spaza Shops (6 hours, R999) under 10(1)(b); the municipality checks both before issuing the Certificate of Acceptability.
In what order should spaza shop owners take these courses, and why?
The owner of a spaza shop, tuckshop, stall or food vehicle is the person in charge under R638, so regulation 10(1)(a) applies: the person in charge must be trained, through accredited training where it applies. That is why Persons in Charge comes first, and it is what the municipality expects when you apply for a Certificate of Acceptability or when the person in charge changes. Food Safety Practices for Informal Traders and Spaza Shops then trains you and your helpers in the everyday basics of a small shop, which covers regulation 10(1)(b).
How long does the spaza shop owner path take, and what does it cost?
The 2 core courses take about 22 hours of self-paced study and cost R2 698 bought one by one. At 5 hours a week that is about 5 weeks, on a phone or a laptop.
Set it against what it protects: a failed inspection or a closed premises costs a business far more than any course on this page.
Hours and prices are read from each course page. Last checked 12 October 2026.
What you get on this path
- A certificate per course, the day you passEach carries a QR code that an inspector, auditor or employer scans to verify it.
- Marked the moment you submitEvery assessment has a 70% pass mark and three attempts, with feedback that names the lesson to go back to.
- Access does not expire, so there is no deadline to finish.Start today on a phone or a laptop, stop and resume whenever you like.
- Pay online or by invoiceNo VAT is added. Teams get per-learner pricing and a manager dashboard that tracks every certificate.
Questions spaza shop owners ask before they enrol
Does a spaza shop need a Certificate of Acceptability to sell food?
Yes. Under R638 any premises that handles food, including a spaza shop, tuckshop, stall or food vehicle, needs a Certificate of Acceptability, which the municipality issues after an environmental health practitioner inspects. ASC does not issue the CoA. ASC provides the training the inspector looks for: Food Safety Practices for Persons in Charge of Food Premises for the owner and Food Safety Practices for Informal Traders and Spaza Shops for you and your helpers.
Can a home baker or online food seller do these courses?
Yes. The path is written for spaza shops, tuckshops, street traders, home bakers and online food sellers. Whoever runs the business is the person in charge under R638, so Food Safety Practices for Persons in Charge of Food Premises, 16 hours and R1 699, comes first. Food Safety Practices for Informal Traders and Spaza Shops, 6 hours and R999, then covers you and anyone who helps you. Both are online and self-paced.
Do my helpers need the Persons in Charge course too?
No. Only the owner or the person running the shop or stall needs Food Safety Practices for Persons in Charge of Food Premises, under R638 regulation 10(1)(a). Helpers need Food Safety Practices for Informal Traders and Spaza Shops, 6 hours and R999 each, which covers regulation 10(1)(b). Every certificate carries a QR code, so the inspector can verify it on the spot from a phone.