How To Start A Food Truck Business In South Africa

What is a Food Truck?

A food truck is a large motorized vehicle or trailer, equipped to cook, prepare, serve, and/or sell food. Some, including ice cream trucks, sell frozen or prepackaged food; others have on-board kitchens and prepare food from scratch, or they heat up food that was prepared in a brick and mortar commercial kitchen.

How To Start A Food Truck Business In South Africa

Research the Market

Before starting a food truck business, you need to research the market and find out fast food that you can sell in your food truck business. You also need to identify a location where you can set up your business. Market research will also help you identify challenges in the market and how best you can address them. You also need to identify a place where you can get a food truck at a lower price.

Identify a Good Location

To make it in the food truck business, you need to find a good location for the business. A food truck business is best suited in areas with a high population like towns. Try and find a place with high foot traffic. You can also set up your food truck business near institutions like a college or a university or marketplaces.

Acquire Business Licenses

You need to register your food truck business before you can start operations. You need to get a business license and certificate of acceptability from a municipal office near you. A business dealing with foodstuff in South Africa must get a certificate of acceptability before it can start operations.

The municipal office will send a health inspector who will come and inspect your business premises to identify if it adheres to food safety practices. If he is satisfied with food safety practices, he will issue you with a certificate of acceptability.

Food truck owners must also get authorization from city governments to trade in public places. As such, you must get a location permit to start a food truck business in your location of choice.

Decide Products to Sell in a Food Truck

Depending on your target customers, you can decide what foodstuffs to sell. To make it in food truck business, it would be best if you sold complementary products. Some of the common foodstuffs in a food truck business include sandwiches, burgers and beverages. Other foodstuffs you can sell in your food truck business include:

Pizza
Chips
Tea, Coffee and Alcoholic drinks
Burger, sandwich and rolls
Magwinya
Bunny chow/ Kota
Yogurts, juice and milkshakes
Traditional dishes
Meat like chicken, beef, fish and pork

Cost of Starting a Food Truck Business in South Africa

The cost of starting a food truck business depends on your business location and the foodstuff you will be selling. You can opt to buy a food truck or rent one. If you have a limited budget, it would be best if you rented one. Renting a food truck would cost you around R5, 000 every month. On the other hand, buying a food truck would cost you R120,000, which would then require you to equip the truck.

Equipment for Starting a Food Truck Business in South Africa

To start a food truck business, you need some equipment. The equipment varies depending on the foodstuffs you will be selling and the size of the business. The primary equipment you need is a food truck vehicle. Your food truck can have kitchen equipment inside like stoves, refrigerators and cookers. You also need other equipment like mixers, shelving pots, stoves, oven, slicers, cutlery and food preparation counters. Most of your startup costs will spent in acquiring a food truck and buying kitchen equipment.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Are food trucks profitable in South Africa?

A food truck business is a profitable business that you can consider setting up in South Africa. Due to the increase in the working class and the general living standards, many people do not have time to prepare meals at home, so they eat out instead.

Do you need a license to sell food in South Africa?

If you are a hawker selling food and meals, which you take from place to place or sell from a vehicle, you need to have a licence. You will need to apply for a licence from the City’s Trade Licence Department. In addition, you will need to pay a once-off application fee.

How much is a food truck in South Africa?

For a brand new one, you may need from around R120,000 for an average truck that is not equipped and closer to R600,000 for a bigger one.

What permits are needed for a food truck in South Africa?

The most important regulations that business owners in this sector have to comply with are health and safety permits, licenses for the selling of liquor and tobacco, as well as zoning permits, to operate in certain locations. If you comply with all the requirements, you will be issued with a licence.

Are food trucks popular in South Africa?

The mobile food craze continues to run strong in South Africa, with many food trucks being followed around by dedicated fans.

What makes a food truck successful?

Discipline, Persistence, Passion. A successful food truck business tends to have discipline, persistence and passion — well, when it comes to the owner, that is. When your friends are out having fun on a Friday night, you are serving at a location or doing any form of work for your business

Can I sell food from home South Africa?

To legally sell any foodstuff in South Africa, except unprocessed agricultural products, you must apply for a Certificate of Acceptability from the local authority, which would typically be your municipality. This certificate must be in place before you start trading.

Is a food truck a good business?

If you’re looking for a money-making business idea, a food truck is a great one. Successful food trucks can bring in more than $500,000 per year, with startup costs around $40,000. Starting a food truck generally takes three to 12 months and requires these nine steps: Research local food trucks and laws.

How do I get a COA certificate?

How do I get a Certificate of Acceptability (COA)?

Get a copy of R638 from the Department of Health’s website – www.health.gov.za (“Search” for “638”).
Ensure that your facility complies with the requirements as detailed in the regulation.
Contact your local authority/municipality and apply for a COA.

How can I start a small fast food business in South Africa?

Starting a food business in South Africa-Part 1

You must have a valid certificate of acceptability.
Your facility must look like a food facility.
Enough toilets and handwash basins.
A place for everything and everything in its place.
The right tools for the job.

How many items should a food truck have?

A good rule of thumb is that most food trucks can handle five to 12 different menu items at any given time. The fewer the better to keep your quality top notch. Second, you want to make sure your menu is easy to prepare.

Why do food trucks fail?

Excess Cost of Operations. Most food trucks fail because they don’t get the cost of operation under control. Some owners enter the industry expecting food, labor, and the vehicle to be their initial costs. However, other expenses can slowly add up, especially if you do not have an established budget.

How long is a COA valid?

The Certificate of Acceptability will have to be renewed every 2 years and there will cost for the re –application and issue of it. a copy of the Occupation certificate for the building and shop must be supplied prior to issue of the COA.

How do I get a health and safety Certificate in South Africa?

How do I get a Health and Safety Compliance Certificate? Health and Safety Compliance Certificates are issued following a site inspection of your factory or business premises by qualified auditors from a company such as Hesscon, which is registered with the relevant authorities.