For many Cape Town families, selling koesisters, vetkoek, and homemade food products is not simply a side business, it is part of how households survive. That is why a recent City of Cape Town compliance dispute in Hanover Park has triggered frustration, concern, and wider debate about the growing pressure facing small community-based businesses across the Western Cape.
A growing dispute is unfolding in Hanover Park after several residents selling homemade food products from their homes were reportedly instructed by the City of Cape Town to cease operating what officials classify as “house shops” in residential areas.
The notices, issued following municipal inspections earlier this year, warned that properties zoned for residential use cannot legally operate certain forms of retail business activity without additional approval under the City’s zoning and development regulations.
According to the notices, homeowners were instructed to comply within thirty days or potentially face severe penalties, including substantial fines or legal consequences for continued non-compliance.
The issue has quickly sparked anger and concern among residents and community organisations in Hanover Park, where many families rely on small informal food sales to supplement household income amid rising living costs and unemployment pressures.
Community leaders say residents feel unfairly targeted, especially individuals who have reportedly been selling homemade food products such as koesisters and vetkoek from their homes for many years without previous enforcement action.
Gary Hartzenberg, chairperson of the Newfields Village Community Representative Forum and land and housing coordinator of the Hanover Park Civic Organisation, criticised the City’s approach, arguing that many residents are simply trying to survive in an increasingly difficult economic environment.
The matter has also highlighted a broader issue developing across parts of Cape Town as more households turn toward home-based businesses, side hustles, and informal entrepreneurship to generate additional income.
At the centre of the debate is the City’s distinction between small-scale “home occupations” and what it classifies as “house shops.”
Deputy Mayor Eddie Andrews defended the enforcement action, explaining that a home occupation generally refers to limited business activity conducted inside a dwelling with minimal external impact. A house shop, however, involves more direct retail activity, customer traffic, deliveries, stock storage, or signage, which may require additional municipal consent under zoning rules.
For many residents, however, the debate extends beyond technical zoning classifications.
As grocery costs, transport expenses, and municipal bills continue rising across the Western Cape, many households increasingly view small home businesses not as commercial expansion, but as financial survival mechanisms helping families cope with mounting economic pressure.
Source: Cape Argus / IOL – Kim Swartz
