Food licence lookup / Cape Town
Certificate of Acceptability in Cape Town
Food businesses anywhere in Cape Town (including Khayelitsha, Mitchells Plain, Bellville, Somerset West, Kuils River) apply for their Certificate of Acceptability at the metro’s environmental health office.
City of Cape Town Metropolitan Municipality
Apply to this metro’s environmental health office for your Certificate of Acceptability.
0860 103 089 is the general call centre. CoA work runs through 17 area environmental health offices, including Bellville 021 400 6101, Khayelitsha 021 444 2350, Mitchells Plain 021 400 4075 and Wynberg 021 400 2767.
Civic Centre, 12 Hertzog Boulevard, Cape Town, 8001 (municipal head office; environmental health services are delivered from 17 area EH offices across the metro)
Cost: Free. The city's own CoA FAQ confirms no application fee is charged.
Last verified July 2026. Details changed? Let us know.
How to apply in Cape Town
- Download the application form above, or contact the office to confirm you have the current version.
- Submit it with a certified copy of the ID of the person in charge and a simple layout plan of the premises. Confirm the exact document list when you get the form.
- An Environmental Health Practitioner inspects the premises. If something falls short, you get a list to fix and a re-visit.
- Display the certificate on the premises once it is issued.
The certificate is not a licence to trade: if you prepare meals or sell perishable food you usually also need a business licence and zoning approval from your local municipality. The food licence lookup explains all three.
Selling food without a registered company?
Most municipalities ask for your business details on the application, and suppliers and landlords will too. Govchain registers your company online for R950, usually within a few days.