A health official educates a township vendor on proper food handling practices to ensure safety. Picture: Supplied
A surge in fatal food-borne illnesses - known as food poisoning - has put Gauteng's informal businesses in the spotlight.
To tackle the issue, Gauteng’s Department of Health and Department of Economic Development jointly launched a campaign recently, urging township businesses to formalise and improve food safety practices.
This initiative aims to empower small-scale vendors with the tools and knowledge needed to ensure the food they serve is not only tasty, but safe.
During the Qondis' isishishini lakho (Fix Your Business) campaign in Ekurhuleni, MEC for Economic Development, Lebogang Maile emphasised the necessity of providing informal enterprises with knowledge and tools to help them improve their operations, particularly in terms of food safety and handling.
The campaign promotes formalisation as a means of improving financial prospects, market access, and compliance with health requirements.
Kgothatso Seshoka, the owner of Chilli The Bite, was one of the small business owners who attended the event. He acknowledged that good packaging is crucial to food safety.
“I’ve learned the importance of packaging food items, including sauces, correctly. Moving forward, I will ensure that the shelf life of the product is visible on the label so that my customers know the food items I am selling are not expired,” Seshoka said.
The Department of Health has taken a proactive approach to improving food safety awareness in Ekurhuleni, addressing informal settlements and schools alike.
Recent outreach initiatives have included trips to the Marikana and Ekhuthuleni informal settlements, Tlamatlama Primary School, and Mvelaphanda Primary School, among others. These engagements have taught residents the value of hand hygiene, food handling, water hygiene, and sanitation.
Similar programs in Tshwane's Ga-Rankuwa community have brought essential information to residents' doorsteps, with a focus on proper food labelling, preparation, and storage.
“From February 2024 to date, the Gauteng Department of Health has reported 207 cases of food-borne illness, including 10 deaths,“ said its spokesperson, Koketso Maraba.
One business owner, Gugu Dladla of Kusile Bhekilanga Farm, applauded the effort to teach her the importance of identifying her products.
“I’m happy to have received information related to labelling. This is a step towards reaching the desired level of compliance as a business,” said Dladla.
In response to the health scare, Gauteng MEC for Health, Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko, has stressed the importance of collaboration between environmental health teams and local municipalities to ensure that businesses, especially in informal sectors, comply with zoning and health regulations.
Nkomo-Ralehoko said that environmental health teams will continue to conduct community inspections, while also encouraging small business operators in township communities to apply for compliance certificates and ensure that they have proper zoning permits.
“The department continues to call for greater vigilance from both the business owners and consumers to ensure greater compliance with environmental health requirements for handling of perishable and non-perishable food items,” said Maraba.
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