Abstract
Food vendors play a vital role in food festivals, which contribute significantly to both the tourism and hospitality sectors. This study investigates the challenges food vendors face in obtaining the Certificate of Acceptability (CoA) a legal requirement for selling food at public events. Without a CoA, vendors were excluded from festival participation, which affects their income, forces them to remain in the informal food sector, and limits their opportunities for business growth. The research aims to understand the barriers to CoA access by food vendors and provide policy recommendations to support vendor inclusion. The practical contribution of the study lay in its potential to enhance economic opportunities for informal food vendors and to improve inclusivity in local food systems. The research also offered theoretical insight into regulatory accessibility and the transition from informal to formal business operations, situated within hospitality management, food systems, and public health regulation. A qualitative approach was adopted, using the socio-ecological model to examine how personal, social, organisational, community, and policy-level factors influenced vendor access to the CoA. The stakeholder engagement framework was applied to assess how CoA-related information was shared among vendors, organisers, and municipal health officials. Data was gathered through semi-structured interviews across three municipal districts in Gauteng: Johannesburg, Tshwane, and Emfuleni. The study identified key barriers, including procedural confusion, limited communication, and inadequate institutional support. A noted limitation was its regional scope. Recommendations included simplified application processes, stronger support systems, and improved stakeholder communication to aid food vendor formalisation.
Presenters
Dineo Bakotile MabiluStudent, Masters in Tourism and Hospitality, University of Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa Cynthia Mabaso
Lecturer, Hospitality, University of Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa Daryl Hewson
Lecturer, School of Tourism & Hospitality, University of Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
FOOD, VENDORS, FESTIVALS, COA, BARRIERS, ACCESS
