What is in it
A five-page PDF that takes you from an empty file to a complete Certificate of Acceptability (COA) application under R638.
- A pre-application checklist of every document and detail the form asks for, each tied to the part of R638 it comes from.
- Every field of the Annexure A model application form, sections A to J, in the gazette’s order, with a plain note on what to write in each one.
- A short guide to drawing the 1:50 layout plan, and what to do after you hand the application in.
- A contact sheet for Johannesburg, Tshwane, Ekurhuleni, Cape Town, eThekwini, Nelson Mandela Bay, Buffalo City and Mangaung, with the numbers and fees each municipality has published.
- What the inspector looks at on the day, with the R638 regulation number beside each item.
Who it is for
Owners and managers opening new food premises, buying an existing food business or moving to a new address. A COA cannot be transferred from one person to another or from one premises to another (regulation 3(9)(a)), so each of those changes means a new application.
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Questions about the pack
Is this the official application form? No. Each municipality issues its own form. Regulation 3(2) says that form must contain at least the particulars in Annexure A, so the pack helps you prepare every answer before you sit down with your metro’s version.
Does it help outside the eight metros? Yes. The checklist, the field guide and the inspection list apply anywhere in South Africa. Only the contact sheet is limited to the metros. Elsewhere, apply to your district municipality’s environmental health office.
What happens if the inspector finds problems? Regulation 3(5) lets the local authority allow up to six months to bring the premises into line. The last page of the pack lists what the inspector checks, so you can fix most items before the visit.
The COA is issued in the name of the person in charge, and regulation 10(1)(a) requires that person to be trained in food safety and hygiene. Our Food Safety Practices for Persons in Charge course covers it online, at your own pace.
