Business & Trading
Short-term trading permits: hawkers, informal traders, market and food stalls, and temporary signage in South African cities.
- Hawker's Permit in South Africa
A hawker's permit is issued by your local municipality and lets you trade legally as an informal or street trader in a designated public space. Every metro (Joburg, Cape Town, eThekwini, Tshwane, Ekurhuleni, Buffalo City, Mangaung, Nelson Mandela Bay) runs its own application.
View requirements - Temporary Trading Permit in South Africa
A temporary trading permit lets you sell goods or services at a specific location for a short period — a pop-up shop, once-off sale or seasonal stall. It is issued by your local municipality's business licensing office under the Businesses Act 71 of 1991 and the city's own trading by-laws.
View requirements - Temporary Market Stall Permit
A market stall permit lets you trade at a designated municipal or private market for a set period, subject to the market's own rules and your municipality's by-laws.
View requirements - Temporary Food Stall Permit & Certificate of Acceptability
To sell prepared food from a stall or food truck in South Africa you need two things: a Certificate of Acceptability (COA) from the municipal Environmental Health Officer under Regulation R638, and a temporary trading permit from your local municipality. The COA covers food safety; the trading permit covers where you may trade.
View requirements - Temporary Signage Permit
Temporary signs — banners, A-frames, election posters, event boards — need a municipal signage permit under your city's Outdoor Advertising By-law. Apply at least 14 days before you plan to put them up.
View requirements