Unplanned development(s) are negatively affecting Gauteng’s three largest townships, home to approximately 2.5 million residents. The province’s 886 informal settlements, home to over one million people, are also affected.
This emerged at a Food Safety Summit 2025, held on Wednesday, the 04th June 2025,
in Modderfontein.
These haphazardly developed areas, affect more than just infrastructure, targeting food safety, directly.
In the words of Vuyiswa Ramokgopa, MEC for the Gauteng Department of Agriculture (GDARD), “Informal settlements lack formal zoning, which means there’s no structured control over how homes are built or how people trade. We cannot separate the issue of food safety from how people live, how we plan for them to live, and how we allocate space in our cities.”
Ramokgopa said zoning regulations, planning permissions, and the overall vision for these settlements, is key.
She also said stressed the significance of enforcement, not just reactive measures following incidents, but proactive planning and support to ensure food safety throughout the value chain.
This includes revisiting zoning laws and enabling small businesses to operate within safe and regulated environments.
A panel of discussion, led by renowned food safety expert, Dr. Lucia Anelich, explored what it will take for retailers and the broader ecosystem, to ensure safe food for all.
Ravi Pillay, a fundi from GIBS Business School, said “Let’s shape food safety together.”
Picture: GDARD