Food licence lookup / Nelson Mandela Bay
Certificate of Acceptability in Nelson Mandela Bay
Food businesses anywhere in Nelson Mandela Bay (including Gqeberha, Port Elizabeth, Kariega, Uitenhage, Despatch) apply for their Certificate of Acceptability at the metro’s environmental health office.
Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality
Apply to this metro’s environmental health office for your Certificate of Acceptability.
041 506 1911 is the switchboard: ask for Public Health. 041 506 5411 is the Public Health directorate line from an older application form, so it may have changed.
Public Health Directorate, Brister House, Govan Mbeki Avenue, Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth), 6001; main civic office: City Hall, Market Square, 32 Govan Mbeki Avenue, Gqeberha, 6001
Cost: Not published. Ask the office when you call.
Last verified July 2026. Details changed? Let us know.
How to apply in Nelson Mandela Bay
- 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.