Tshwane Shuts Zulzi, Yassir, Uber Eats Market in Hatfield

In Short

• The City of Tshwane shut three online food and grocery operations in Hatfield on August 23.
• The city alleges compliance failures including missing permits, and in one case, fraudulent documents.
• Officials say online ordering does not exempt businesses from health by-laws and food safety rules.

What Happened

The City of Tshwane has shut Zulzi’s Hatfield operation, along with Yassir and Uber Eats Market, after a targeted by-law enforcement operation in Hatfield.

According to the city’s health department, the inspections focused on the physical premises where food is received, stored, handled, packed, and prepared for delivery. The city says these sites must comply with the same municipal health requirements as any other food premises, even if customers place orders via an app.

In Zulzi’s case, officials allegedly found fraudulent compliance documents, including what the city described as a fraudulent liquor licence. The city also raised concerns about the alleged sale of medication and other regulated pharmaceutical products through the platform.

Regulated medicines are products that can only be sold or dispensed by authorised parties, such as licensed pharmacies. Tshwane said it would seek clarity on how certain items, including morning-after pills, were being supplied, stored, and dispatched, and whether the required authorisations were in place.

The city said Zulzi would not be allowed to reopen until the alleged contraventions were addressed. It also warned that operating while closed could lead to arrests.

For Yassir and Uber Eats Market, the city alleged the businesses were operating without the required certificate of acceptability and business licences. A certificate of acceptability is a health approval confirming that a premises meets basic hygiene and food safety standards.

Why It Matters

This is a clear signal that local enforcement is extending beyond storefronts to quick commerce, meaning app-first grocery and food delivery. Compliance risk now includes the warehouse or packing site, not just the app experience.

For operators, shutdowns can immediately break fulfilment and delivery schedules, hurt customer trust, and disrupt partners in the supply chain. For investors and founders, it also raises due diligence questions about permits, document controls, and how regulated products are listed and fulfilled.

More enforcement actions could follow as cities tighten oversight of dark stores, online-only kitchens, and last-mile grocery hubs in South Africa’s on-demand delivery market.