Food licence lookup / Garden Route
Certificate of Acceptability in the Garden Route District
Food businesses in the 7 local municipalities of the Garden Route District apply for their Certificate of Acceptability at the district’s environmental health office, not at their local municipality.
Garden Route District Municipality
Apply to this district’s environmental health office for your Certificate of Acceptability.
044 803 1300 is the George head office; 044 803 1525 the municipal health senior manager. Regional offices: George 044 803 1501, Oudtshoorn 044 272 2241, Knysna 044 382 7214, Plettenberg Bay 044 501 1600, Mossel Bay 044 693 0006, Riversdale 028 713 2438.
54 York Street, George, 6530
Cost: Not published. Ask the office when you call.
Covers: Kannaland Local Municipality, Hessequa Local Municipality, Mossel Bay Local Municipality, George Local Municipality, Oudtshoorn Local Municipality, Bitou Local Municipality, Knysna Local Municipality
Last verified July 2026. Details changed? Let us know.
Towns this office serves
Wherever you are in these municipalities, Garden Route is your Certificate of Acceptability office:
- Bitou: Plettenberg Bay, Nature's Valley, Kurland, Kranshoek
- George: George, Wilderness, Uniondale, Haarlem
- Hessequa: Riversdale, Heidelberg, Albertinia, Stilbaai, Witsand, Gouritsmond
- Kannaland: Ladismith, Calitzdorp, Zoar, Vanwyksdorp
- Knysna: Knysna, Sedgefield, Rheenendal, Brenton-on-Sea
- Mossel Bay: Mossel Bay, Hartenbos, Great Brak River, Herbertsdale
- Oudtshoorn: Oudtshoorn, De Rust, Dysselsdorp
How to apply in the Garden Route District
- Contact the office using the details above and ask for the Certificate of Acceptability application form.
- 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.