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YOUR ROLE IN FIGHTING
COVID-19

MY PLEDGE

HOW CAN YOU AS MY CUSTOMER/ PATRON SUPPORT ME TO PROTECT MY LICENCE TO TRADE?

  • Respect my trading conditions and trading hours
  • Do not drink and drive, or drink and walk
  • Inform me of any underage individuals in my outlet
  • Inform me if there are pregnant women in my outlet
  • Do not urinate outside my outlet
  • Do not remove alcohol from my ‘on consumption’ outlet OR consume alcohol in my ‘off consumption’ outlet
  • Do not fight with or harass any of my customers/patrons or neighbours
  • Do not park in front of my outlet, or obstruct my neighbours’ access
  • Do not engage in unruly behaviour or loitering outside my outlet

AS AN OUTLET OWNER, I PLEDGE TO TRADE RESPONSIBLY BY:

  • Adhering to my trading conditions and trading hours
  • Not serving alcohol to anyone under the legal drinking age of 18
  • Not serving alcohol to patrons who have had too much to drink
  • Not being a disturbance/nuisance to the community in which I operate
  • Discouraging my patrons from drinking and driving
  • Discouraging my patrons from walking alone when they have been drinking
  • Encouraging respectful behaviour amongst my patrons
  • Taking a zero-tolerance approach for any forms of violence or harassment taking place inside my outlet
  • Support liquor inspectors and any other regulatory officials during site visits to my premises

CONTENTS

Your role in fighting Covid-19

What is an off-consumption license?

Social distancing + your business

Opening as an off-consumption outlet

Stopping the spread: Your responsibility to customers

Stopping the spread: Your responsibility to employees

What if an employee gets Covid-19?

What the law says about liquor

The law in South Africa The law in your province

Glossary

Helplines + info

01

YOUR ROLE

IN FIGHTING COVID-19
As a liquor trader, you already know how to help your community to enjoy responsibly. Now more than ever, they need your help as we all work together to stop the spread of Covid-19.
Consulting government guidelines and industry operation procedures, Association for Alcohol Responsibility and Education ( Aware.org) has put together all that you need to know about what’s legal, advisable, and essential for those selling alcohol in the time of social distancing
02

WHAT IS AN

OFF-CONSUMPTION LICENSE?
Under Lockdown Level 3, all liquor traders will be granted offconsumption licenses. Here’s what that means for your business
An off-consumption license allows the sale of liquor that will not be drunk in the place where it it is sold, such as a liquor store. Under Lockdown Level 3, traders may operate as off-consumption stores. This liquor must be sold only to the public and not to any person under the age of 18, licensed or unlicensed, intending to use it for business purposes.
As an off-consumption trader, you must ensure that there is no loitering outside your premises and that people buy their alcohol and then go straight home. For more information, turn to “What the Law Says about Liquor” at the back of the booklet.
 Remember 
Alcohol may not be sold to anyone under the age of 18.

SOCIAL DISTANCING + YOUR BUSINESS

03

OPENING

AS AN OFF-CONSUMPTION OUTLET
With knowledge and preparation, you can run your business in a way that serves your customers and your community, and stops the spread of Covid-19. We’d like to help you to prepare to sell alcohol to the public who want to enjoy it in their homes – safely, securely, and simply.
Your workplace should be arranged so that employees can keep social distancing of 1.5m between them. If it isn’t possible for your staff to work 1.5m apart, then physical barriers and the appropriate PPE will be needed for their safety.
Mark queuing and serving areas every 1.5m.
Employees must wear cloth face masks or some form of cloth covering their mouth and nose. Tell everyone, both consumers and suppliers, to wear masks while inside your premises.
Each employee should have access to hand sanitiser, soap, and clean water to use for their hands as well as a disinfectant to sanitise their work area
You should provide only paper towels to dry hands with, not fabric. Please ensure that they can throw these away straight after use.
Employers must ensure that each employee regularly washes and sanitises their hands while at work.
Separate entrance and exit points to your store will be required if possible. If you can, serve customers from a counter or window.
Place easily-seen leaflets or posters about the dangers of the virus, how it spreads, and behaviour that prevents it. These include personal hygiene, social distancing, use of masks, cough etiquette, and where to go for testing or screening.
To reduce the spread of COVID-19, the store must get fresh air from an air-conditioner or even an open window.
Hand sanitiser with at least 70% alcohol content should be available for free, with enough for all of your customers and employees to use. This hand sanitiser must be available at the entrance, and all interactions between your employees and the public should happen with hand sanitiser available for them.
04

STOPPING THE SPREAD

YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO CUSTOMERS
As you know, your customers keep your business alive. Here’s how to act responsibly to keep them healthy and safe – and make sure that they do the same for you.
Make sure there’s at least 1.5m space between customers at all times.
Appoint a member of your team to make sure that customers are maintaining social distancing and are wearing their masks while queuing
Control the number of customers inside your outlet at any time so that there’s enough space to keep 1.5m between them, and between customers and staff.
Allocate a space with empty crates for customers to return their empties, so that this doesn’t need to involve staff.
Don’t let customers hang around or socialise outside of your business before or after they’ve made their purchase. You have the right and responsibility to ask them to move away at this point.
If your outlet is on the same property as your home, don’t let employees go into the home area or let your family come into the liquor outlet
Sanitise your card machine every time a customer uses it
Place easily-seen leaflets or posters about the dangers of the virus, how it spreads, and behaviour that prevents it. These include personal hygiene, social distancing, use of masks, cough etiquette, and where to go for testing or screening.
Don’t let customers bring children or pets to your store
Never sell more units of alcohol to one customer than you’re legally allowed to.
05

STOPPING THE SPREAD

YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO STAFF
As an employer, you have a responsibility to keep your employees safe from situations that could compromise their health – so that they, in turn, can protect their loved ones, your customers, and the larger community. These are some of the ways in which you must adapt your business for employee safety.
Disinfect all work surfaces before work begins, during the work period, and again after work ends.
Clean and disinfect all areas such as toilets, common areas, door handles, and shared electronic equipment regularly.
Clean and disinfect surfaces that employees and the public come into contact with.
Teach employees about the correct way to wear a cloth mask.
Ask your employees to wear their masks at work and on the way to and from work.
Employees must wash and sanitise their hands regularly.
Employees who work with the public must sanitise their hands each time they’re in contact with the public.
If an employee shows symptoms of COVID-19, they shouldn’t come to work. If they develop symptoms while at work, they need to go to get tested, and not return to work until they test negative.
Make it clear to your employees that if they experience symptoms of COVID-19, they must not enter the workplace or report for work. If they start to experience symptoms while at work, they should feel comfortable to tell you so that you can act to help them.
An affected employee should only return to work when they have tested negative for COVID-19 and must continue to practice strict personal hygiene, wearing of masks, social distancing, and cough etiquette.
06

WHAT IF AN EMPLOYEE

GETS COVID-19
If a member of your team gets sick, they need medical attention as soon as possible, and you have an important role to play in ensuring that they get that care. If you suspect that yourself or a team member is ill, acting quickly, correctly and with care can save lives.
If an employee shows symptoms of COVID-19, they shouldn’t come to work. If they develop symptoms while at work, they need to go to get tested, and not return to work until they test negative.
Screen employees for symptoms when they begin work. These include fever, cough, sore throat, redness of eyes and shortness of breath.
Employees should report to you if they feel any of the following symptoms: body aches, loss of smell, loss of taste, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, fatigue, weakness, or tiredness.
If you think an employee is at risk of having contracted Covid-19, they must go for screening before you can allow them to come to work.
Remain calm. If you need help you can contact the COVID-19 hotline at 0800 02 9999 for guidance.
If someone who works for you has been diagnosed with COVID-19, tell the Department of Health and the Department of Employment and Labour immediately.
Any contact tracing measure done by the Department of Health will need your support.
Place any of your staff diagnosed with COVID-19 on paid sick leave or, if they have none, make an application for an illness benefi t from the COVID-19 Temporary Employer Relief Scheme.
If you think an employee contracted Covid-19 as a result of their job, lodge a claim in terms of the Compensation for Occupational Injuries and Diseases Act
Place any of your staff diagnosed with COVID-19 on paid sick leave or, if they have none, make an application for an illness benefi t from the COVID-19 Temporary Employer Relief Scheme.
07

WHAT THE SA LAW

SAYS ABOUT LIQUOR
While you probably know these rules and regulations already, we want you to be clear on all of the main points put in place for the safety of the public – especially in these confusing times. Read through the rules that apply to all liquor traders, nationwide.
These national norms and standards apply across South Africa so if there seems to be a conflict with provincial legislation, always obey these rules above all others

NOW MORE THAN EVER

These guidelines are always advisable for the safety of your customers, but they’re more important than ever in the time of social distancing.
  • Customers mustn’t park their vehicles so that they block neighbours’ driveways, or access to the road
  • Customers sitting in vehicles outside your liquor outlet may not be served alcohol
  • The entrance to the liquor trading area should be separate from that of the dwelling place
08

WHAT THE SA LAW SAYS ABOUT LIQUOR:

YOUR PROVINCE
Learn your local liquor laws to be better-prepared for day-to-day questions and concerns from your customers, as well as the more serious stuff in case of an emergency situation.
09

WHAT DO YOU MEAN?

Covid-19 has many of us feeling like we’re learning a whole new language – and then there are the legal terms that can sometimes feel confusing. This list of words and their meanings might help to explain some of what we’ve talked about in this booklet.

Cough etiquette
This is a name for the actions you can take to avoid the spread of illness to others when coughing or sneezing.
Liquor outlet
Any store licensed to sell alcohol.
Off-consumption
A license that allows a liquor outlet to sell alcohol to be used or enjoyed at home or elsewhere, like a liquor store or a distributor
On-consumption
A license that allows a liquor outlet to sell alcohol that can be enjoyed in the area where it was sold such as bars and restaurants
PPE – Personal Protection Equipment
Any protective garment – including helmet, goggles, and masks – to protect the person wearing it. In this booklet, we refer to antiviral PPE: facemasks, face shields, disposable gloves, and other items to protect the wearer and others from Covid-19.

PPE – Personal Protection Equipment
This is the act of giving alcohol to anyone under the age of 18 years, which is illegal even if the alcohol has been bought legally, as per the law in South Africa.
Social distancing
Keeping a distance of at least 1.5 metres is one of the most effective ways to avoid transmission of Covid-19. Whenever possible, stop the spread by encouraging social distancing and ensuring that others follow this rule.
10

HELP IS JUST A PHONE CALL AWAY

Do you think that you or one of your employees might have COVID-19? You can call the toll-free COVID-19 hotline on 0800 02 9999 for quick help with what to do next. Is your relationship with alcohol having a negative effect on your life? You can call the toll-free SANCA substance abuse hotline on 0800 121314 or SMS 32312 to get help
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