How To Obtain Liquor License In South Africa

Types of Liquor Licenses.

Liquor Licenses are divided into two distinct categories namely: On Consumption Liquor License (Liquor sold may only be consumed on the premises and may not be removed from the premises) e.g.. Restaurant, Pub, Tavern, etc. and Off Consumption Liquor License e.g.

Liquor Store (Liquor sold may not be consumed on the premises.) In addition to this, the law provides for a Wholesale and Distribution Liquor License (Liquor may be sold to licensed entities such as Liquor Stores, Pubs etc. on Wholesale or to the public and can be transported in bulk throughout the country) and Manufacturers Liquor License. Wholesale Liquor License holders can only supply to licensed businesses, not to the public.

Each Province has its own Provincial Liquor Act. The requirements and types of licenses as well as the lodgement procedure and documents required differ from province to province.

Renewal of Liquor Licenses.

All Liquor Licenses must be renewed annually. Should a Liquor License holder fail to renew, the Liquor License will expire after a specific time. Should a Liquor License expire, a new Liquor License application must be lodged. The renewal process also differs from province to province.

3) Lodgement of Liquor License Applications.

Liquor Licenses can only be lodged on the first Friday of every month. Notice in the Government Gazette has to be done approximately two weeks prior to lodgement date (roughly in the middle of the month). Should either the notification date or advertisement date in the newspapers be missed, the application cannot be lodged and will have to stand over until the next month. The whole process of the application will have to be redone for the next month.

We will advise the applicant which documentation and information is required for the submission of his Liquor License Application. Note that we cannot lodge an application that is incomplete. Contact us for more detail regarding the lodgement process in your province.

4) Other requirements:

A major factor remains the zoning of the property. Your local Municipality`s Planning Department or Land Use Department can confirm the suitability of premises for an application for a specific Liquor License, should it be a Liquor Store, Restaurant, Tavern, Club, or any other Liquor License. The local municipality has to give a Local Authority Approval letter (LAA) on the proposed premises. The proximity to similar licensed premises, schools or churches.

This detail will be handled by us to maximize your chances of success.

You can apply for a liquor license on-premises if the building is not built or needs alterations or renovations. We will lodge an application for the license from the plan (on conditional granting) however the waiting period for the license will be longer. It is recommended for time purposes that the premises are ready to trade, upon inspection from the liquor board inspector or designated police officer.

The licensee shall at all times display the Liquor License at a conspicuous place on the premises. It is advisable to attach the proof of payment of the Liquor License for the current year to the license as well as the Appointment of Manager Certificate and other related documentation.

The Applicant of the Liquor License must be domiciled in South Africa, have no criminal record, may not be insolvent or a minor and must be in good standing at the Receiver of Revenue, to name only a few requirements. The application can be done in the personal capacity of the applicant (natural person) or a company however there are additional documents required for a company applicant.

In Gauteng; the licensee shall ensure that the name of the business, type of Business, type of Liquor License, times of Business, and Liquor License number are visibly written in characters larger than 5 centimeters in height, on the front door or window of the licensed premises.

Choosing a Liquor License Consultant


The applicant must take great care in choosing a Liquor License Consultant. Unfortunately, there are many unethical and incompetent Liquor License Consultants.

To safeguard yourself use the following checkpoints to evaluate a Liquor License consultant.                   

Ask for references and proof that the Liquor Licenses of the references given to you have been issued by the Liquor Board.

Ask for a written quote. Ask the questions – what is included/excluded? What cost must be paid by the applicant once the Liquor License is handed to him

(Does the Liquor Consultant pay the application fee, floor plan, photos, advertisements in the Government Gazette/Newspapers; does he pay for the Liquor Traders registration (if applicable)?

How long has the Liquor License consultant been operating? Ask for proof of his first successful Liquor License that was issued by the Liquor Board.

Ask for the identification of the Liquor License Consultant and record it.  

How long does it take to get a liquor licence in South Africa?

The average turnaround time for an application, once it’s at the Liquor Board, is between 4 and 6 months from the date of lodgement, although it can be as short as 2 months or as long as 12 months (ICO objections).

How much does it cost to get a liquor license in South Africa?

This is perhaps the most common question that gets posed to us at Leon Slotow Attorneys as we are the leaders in Liquor Licence Applications in South Africa. The simple answer to this question is: between R15 000 and R25 000.