When Will Liquor Stores Reopen in South Africa
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South Africa’s liquor retailers are set to open as early as this week. The large majority of the country’s supermarkets, hardware stores, and other retail outlets will be selling beer, wine, and other spirits once again. In the past few months, several shops have already gone through clearance sale after clearance sale. From the end of April to the beginning of May 2019, many of South Africa’s over 690 liquor stores have been going through a final cleaning and sanitization process. After all that hard work, it looks like everyone is ready for reopening day. But when? Which liquor retailers will be opening first? And what are the latest updates regarding this topic? Keep reading to find out more…
When Will South Africa’s Liquor Stores Reopen?
It’s been a long winding road for South Africa’s liquor stores. Back in April 2018, the country’s parliament passed a new liquor law that allowed for the reinstatement of all alcohol sales in supermarkets and other licensed retail outlets. Since then, the process at all of these stores has been a bit of a mess. Many of the country’s retail outlets are still not fully functioning. Some have yet to be completely re-stocked. Others are fully stocked but are still waiting to get their liquor license. And still, more have their license but don’t yet have their liquor shelves up and running. All of this adds to the confusion of who will be next to open, when they’ll be next to open, and whether or not they’ll be open at all.
Latest Updates on South Africa’s Liquor Store Opening Schedule
While it’s unclear when or if all of South Africa’s liquor stores will be fully operational, there’s been a great deal of progress lately in terms of when some of them will be going back to work. Between April and early May, many of the country’s liquor retailers received a final letter from their local provincial liquor board. The board told these businesses that their license was ready to be picked up. Once that letter was received, most shops were able to pick up their licenses and finish reopening their doors and shelves. Some, however, had to wait a few more days to get their paperwork signed and delivered to their hands.
The Current State of Play for South Africa’s Liquor Store Rebooting Process
From consumers and retailers alike, there’s been a lot of confusion about which stores will be reopening, when they’ll reopen, and whether or not the entire process is even worth it. In some cases, this confusion is understandable. In other cases, it’s caused by the government’s long drawn-out approach to getting the stores back to work. Either way, it’s a bit concerning. Especially now that the stores are all set to open as early as this week. How many of these stores will be fully stocked and open? How many will be only partially stocked? And how many won’t even be open?
What Are the Latest Updates on Joining the Liquor Store Reopening Club?
One of the best parts of South Africa’s liquor store reopening saga is the fact that so many new stores have been joining the club. This is especially good news for those who are eager to join the club but haven’t had the chance to apply yet. There are a lot of stores that have applied to reopen but have yet to receive their application paperwork. Once they get that paperwork, they can begin the reopening process. For those who haven’t applied yet, waiting to join the club is a bit of a missed opportunity. There are only a few weeks left to join, so you need to start applying as soon as possible.
How Do You Join the Liquor Store Reopening Club?
Anyone interested in applying for South Africa’s liquor store reopening club can pick up an application at their local liquor store. Once there, you’ll need to present your ID and show that you’re at least 18 years old. Once you’re done, you can choose either to drop off the paperwork with the store clerk or to put it in the drop box outside. If you choose to drop it off at the store, note that you’ll probably have to wait a few minutes while they get the paperwork ready.
Final Words
We’ve been following South Africa’s liquor store reopening saga closely since it began back in April. We’ve seen a lot of progress, but it’s also clear that there’s still a lot of work to be done. Whether you’re a South Africa liquor store reopening club member or not, it’s important to keep an eye on the news in your country. This way, you can stay on top of the progress, and make sure that your favorite liquor stores don’t get shut down again.
