Legal trading and business premises
If you are trading on a formal property, your business licence will only be granted if the erf/plot you are trading on has been zoned for the type of trade you are conducting. Read more about our zoning scheme in the City of Cape Town's Development Management Scheme.
Licensing and certification
If you operate one of the following businesses, you will need a permit or licence to operate in Cape Town:
- Sellers or suppliers of meals of any sort, whether formal or informal
- Health facilities (turkish baths, saunas or health baths) massage or infra-red treatment
- Escort services
- Mechanical, electrical apparatuses or devices (games) 3 or more.
- Snooker or billiard tables
- A cinema or theatre
- Adult shopping
- Night clubs or discotheques
For fixed commercial sites and businesses,
before your business licence application will be granted, you will need the following documentation:
- Land use clearance certificate
- Copy of ID document/passport of owner
- Copy of the ID document/passport of managing director of company or main member of CC
- Population and clearance certificate from fire prevention officer
-
Certificate of acceptability
- Copy of approved building plan of the interior layout of the premises
If you need more insights into how to manage your commercial property, please visit our
commercial properties section.
Compliant business environments and buildings
Many business-related alterations and additions to buildings must comply with certain specifications in their layout and/or construction.
We have a series of handy guidelines to assist you with the application and compliance process for the following kinds of businesses and commercial environments:
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