“Business permit” means two different things in South Africa. It can be a municipal business licence or permit, issued by your municipality for trades such as food selling, or it can be the Business Visa that lets a foreign national establish or invest in a business here. The requirements for each have nothing in common, so decide which one you need first.
Municipal rules differ from one municipality to the next, so this page uses the published lists of Ekurhuleni, Tshwane and Cape Town as examples. For company registration see our company registration requirements guide.
Business Requirements at a Glance
Municipal business licence (for example a spaza shop or food outlet). Expect to be asked for:
- A completed business licence application form
- Zoning confirmation: a zoning certificate or written consent for the premises
- A Certificate of Acceptability (health standards) where food is handled
- An approved building plan and occupancy certificate (Ekurhuleni lists these)
- Proof of the right to use the premises, such as a title deed, lease or landlord letter
- Your ID or Home Affairs documents, and CIPC registration where the business is registered
Business Visa (foreign nationals). A recommendation from the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (the dtic), proof of the required capital investment and an undertaking on South African staff, with Home Affairs making the final decision.
Registration and Legal Requirements
Not every business is treated the same, and there is no single national small-business licence. Municipalities license food outlets and certain trades after zoning, health and fire or building checks, and the document lists differ by municipality. Ask your municipality’s business licensing section what your activity needs before you sign a lease.
Food outlets must register with the municipality. The Western Cape government states that spaza shops and other food-handling facilities must be registered in the municipality where they operate, and that business compliance and health compliance are separate processes. The national registration drive of 2024 and 2025 had its deadline extended to 28 February 2025, which has passed, so register now rather than waiting for a new notice.
The Certificate of Acceptability is not a licence to trade. In Cape Town it is applied for under Regulation 638 in the name of the person in charge of the premises, with an ID or passport copy, company or close corporation registration where applicable, premises particulars, the food category, staff numbers and a layout plan drawn at 1:50 or 1:100. See the City of Cape Town’s certificate of acceptability application form.
Liquor is a separate approval. Selling liquor needs its own licence on top of the municipal requirements, with its own process and timeline. Ask your municipality and the provincial liquor authority before you commit to premises.
Documents and Ownership Information Required
Ekurhuleni lists the following minimum registration requirements for businesses such as spaza shops: the application form, a zoning certificate or written consent, a Certificate of Acceptability, an approved building plan and occupancy certificate, a title deed or landlord letter, your ID or Home Affairs permit, CIPC registration, your latest municipal account and a SARS tax clearance. The detail is on the City of Ekurhuleni notice to spaza shops.
Tshwane lists the application form, certified ID or Home Affairs documents, locality, land use and site plans, CIPC registration, a title deed, lease or proof of residence, a zoning certificate and tax clearance. It issues licences to spaza shops that comply with municipal health, fire safety and town planning regulations; see the City of Tshwane spaza shop notice.
For a Business Visa, the official requirements include:
- An accountant’s certificate that at least R5 000 000 in cash originating outside South Africa is available to be invested in the business, or has been invested. The capital may be part cash and part new machinery or equipment
- An undertaking that at least 60% of total staff will be South African citizens or permanent residents employed permanently
- A recommendation from the dtic on the feasibility of the business and its contribution to the national interest
The published Business Visa requirements are a South African embassy document, so confirm the current figures with Home Affairs before you apply. In July 2026 Home Affairs waived the requirement to submit a medical report for temporary residence visa applications; Home Affairs’ own web pages still list it, so check what applies to you when you apply.
Tax, Licence and Compliance Requirements
The Business Visa depends on a recommendation you cannot appeal. The dtic recommendation is not appealable, and the decision on whether to grant the visa rests solely with the Department of Home Affairs.
Waivers and exclusions. The Director-General may reduce or waive the capital contribution for businesses prescribed as being in the national interest, or at the dtic’s request. Some undertakings are excluded altogether: no business visa may be issued or renewed for businesses that import second-hand vehicles for export to other markets.
Validity and proof of investment. A business visa may be issued for up to three years at a time. The holder must prove the investment was made within 24 months of the visa being issued, and every two years after that.
Other visa categories may fit better. Depending on your situation, a work visa or another category may suit you better than a Business Visa, so check the category before you prepare an application.
The two permits are cumulative. A foreign national opening a restaurant needs the visa, the company registration, zoning, a Certificate of Acceptability and any liquor licence, each from a different authority with its own timeline.
Process, Deadlines and Ongoing Obligations
Municipal licence. First confirm zoning for the premises. Then gather the municipality’s document list, get the Certificate of Acceptability if you handle food, and submit the application to the municipal business licensing section.
Informal or street trading. In Cape Town, anyone who is unemployed and legally allowed to live in South Africa qualifies for an informal trading permit. You apply through the City’s e-services, applicants are scored, and the highest-scoring applicant receives the permit. Food hawkers also need a hawking business trading licence and a Certificate of Acceptability. The steps are on the City of Cape Town informal trading permit page; other municipalities have their own rules.
Business Visa. The dtic application form is emailed, with no hard copies accepted, to [email protected], with one application per foreign member and the email under 4MB. The dtic first Business Visa application form sets out the process. Home Affairs then decides the visa.
Do not start trading until you have confirmed that the municipal licence and, if you are a foreign national, the correct immigration status are in place.
Frequently Asked Questions
What permits do I need to start a private business?
It depends on the activity and the municipality. Food businesses generally face zoning, a Certificate of Acceptability and, in some cities, building plan, occupancy and fire safety checks. Compare the Ekurhuleni and Tshwane lists above and ask your own municipality for its list.
What are the requirements for an informal business permit to sell food?
In Cape Town you must be unemployed and legally allowed to live in South Africa, apply through e-services and be successful in the scoring, and you also need a hawking business trading licence and a Certificate of Acceptability. Other municipalities set their own rules.
Does every business need a municipal licence?
No. Licensing applies to defined trades such as food outlets, and the categories and process are set by the municipality. Zoning applies to every business address.
What is a Business Visa?
Immigration authorisation for a foreign national to establish or invest in a business in South Africa. It requires a capital investment certified by an accountant, an undertaking on South African staff and a dtic recommendation.
How much capital does a Business Visa need?
The published requirements ask for an accountant’s certificate that at least R5 000 000 in cash from outside South Africa is available or invested. The capital can be waived or reduced for national-interest businesses, so confirm the current position with Home Affairs.
Can I start trading while my visa application is pending?
Do not assume you can. Confirm with Home Affairs what your application status allows before you trade.
Municipal requirements differ by municipality and Business Visa requirements are decided by Home Affairs, so confirm them with your municipality and the Department of Home Affairs. See our business and compliance requirements hub and the company registration requirements guide.