KwaZulu-Natal Premier Thami Ntuli discussed the issue of foreign-owned spaza shops in the provinceThe premier noted that there were several factors which resulted in local shop owners suffering in the sectorA roundtable discussion was held to address the growing dominance of foreign nationals in the spaza shop sectorKwaZulu-Natal Premier Thami Ntuli admitted that foreign nationals own nearly 60% of the spaza shops in the province. KWAZULU-NATAL — KwaZulu-Natal Premier Thami Ntuli has raised the alarm over the composition of the province's spaza shop sector, disclosing that close to 60% of these informal retail outlets are in the hands of foreign nationals. He added that many local spaza shop owners had applied for compliance certificates, but very few were approved, with some districts recording zero successful applications. Factors giving foreign-owned stores the edgeWhen asked what was making foreign-owned spaza shops more competitive, Ntuli pointed to three issues. In response, Ntuli said the province intends to establish a formal wholesaler programme that would supply local spaza shops through a managed system offering training, mentorship and compliance support.