Zuko Komisa
- The Gauteng Liquor Traders Association (GLTA) has rejected the Gauteng Liquor Board’s proposed fee hikes, calling the current regulatory framework “unworkable.”
- Rising costs and rigid urban zoning laws threaten to cripple thousands of township-based micro-businesses and small traders.
- Traders are calling for a fairer, sustainable system that addresses fraudulent licences and systemic enforcement failures.
For many township entrepreneurs, a liquor licence is more than a piece of paper; it is a lifeline for a family business.
However, the Gauteng Liquor Traders Association (GLTA) warns that this lifeline is being stretched to a breaking point.
The association has formally rejected a proposed hike in licensing fees, arguing that the Gauteng Liquor Board is out of touch with the reality on the ground.
For a small tavern owner already paying up to R6,000 a year, an increase isn’t just an administrative adjustment it’s a threat to their livelihood.
Land-use rules designed for leafy suburbs are being forced upon informal settlements and historical townships, making it nearly impossible for honest traders to stay compliant.
Beyond the fees, legitimate owners are battling a tide of fraudulent licences and inconsistent enforcement that leaves them vulnerable. To the GLTA, asking for more money before fixing these structural cracks is both “unaffordable and unjustifiable.”
Kaya Biz with Gugulethu Mfuphi spoke to spokesperson Jongikhaya Kraai, who highlights a “broken” regulatory system where red tape and rigid zoning laws collide with township reality.
He says that for thousands of micro-businesses, the fear is that these hikes will drive them out of the legal market entirely.
Listen to the full conversation here:
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