Maile: It's inevitable that local spaza shop owners will become frustrated if they can't thrive in their own communities

JOHANNESBURG - Gauteng Finance MEC Lebogang Maile said that foreign nationals dominated the spaza shop industry in townships, leaving local shop owners outnumbered.

Maile raised concerns that many South African entrepreneurs were being squeezed out of the market, leading to frustrations and increasing competition for limited economic opportunities.

He briefed the media on Sunday and also provided an update on the recent wave of township violence.

READ: Monopoly of township economy by foreign enterprises must be addressed - Maile

Maile said the issue remained a contentious topic in many townships across the province but needed to be dealt with quickly.

"Various other studies have corroborated that foreign nationals dominate the spaza shop industry in townships across South Africa. It is inevitable that under such circumstances local spaza shop owners are frustrated by being unable to thrive in their own communities," Maile said.