These stores were locally owned, stocked a wide range of goods, and served as central community hubs long before spaza shops became common. General dealers were once the backbone of township commerce, often started by families who lived in the same communities they served. As spaza shops grew, many general dealers either downsized or closed, while others struggled to compete with newer business models that relied on bulk buying and long trading hours. Master P wrote:"The saddest thing is now General Dealers closed Somalia's/Ethiopian's operate on spaces sa di General Dealers. A South African kid became a viral sensation on social media after becoming a regular at her local spaza shop.