Longer trading hours retained temporarily for existing WC businesses

Wednesday, 14 March, 2012
Cluver Markotter Inc
Although the By-law on Liquor Trading Days and Hours of the City of Cape Town will commence on the 1st of April, businesses with existing liquor licenses will be entitled to carry on trading with their existing trading hours until the 31st of December 2012.
According to Danie Cronjé, the Director of Liquor Law Services at Cluver Markotter Incorporated, a provision in the by-law allows the holders of existing licenses which provide for longer trading hours than those prescribed in the by-law to continue trading with their existing hours until the licenses are renewed in terms of the Western Cape Liquor Act.

This will happen on the 31st of December 2012.

According to Cronjé however, businesses which obtain new liquor licenses in terms of the Western Cape Liquor Act after the 1st of April will be subject to the shorter hours prescribed in the by-law.

The Western Cape Liquor Act, which provides the default trading hours for areas where municipalities have not determined trading hours, contains a similar provision which allows the holders of existing licenses to continue trading with their current trading hours for 12 months from the 1st of April 2012 unless the municipality in the area determines its own trading days and trading hours in which case the municipality’s hours will apply.