What's changed for gyms, salons and wellness businesses

Nothing in this sector has changed by a single new Act, but enforcement pressure and one live regulatory proposal both matter to how you run the business. Municipalities are visibly tightening health by-law inspections on salons and studios, the Consumer Protection Act's membership cancellation rules keep generating disputes at the Consumer Goods and Services Ombud, and the Allied Health Professions Council of South Africa's proposal to bring somatologists under statutory registration is being actively contested by the beauty industry.

Reviewed by TefCo Compliance Research — last verified 15 September 2026.

In short

Environmental health practitioners are inspecting salons for the full compliance file — health certificate, business licence, fire clearance and sterilisation records together, not the health certificate alone.
The Consumer Protection Act's 20-business-day cancellation right for gym and wellness memberships has not changed, but disputes over cancellation penalties remain a live enforcement area.
AHPCSA's proposed statutory register for somatologists is opposed by employer bodies including the EOHCB, UASA and Solidarity and is not yet finalised — the current position must be confirmed before assuming somatology falls inside or outside AHPCSA registration.

Health by-law enforcement is the visible change

The regulation itself (R638, and the municipal health by-laws sitting alongside it) has not been rewritten recently, but industry compliance advisers are reporting inspections that go well beyond the certificate on the wall — checking fire clearance dates, zoning against the current floor plan, and sterilisation records at wet stations in the same visit. [5](https://www.eohcb.co.za/post/licenses-permits-within-the-hair-beauty-industry)

The practical change for operators is that a business can no longer treat the framed health certificate as proof of compliance on its own. Fire clearance and zoning have to match the current premises, not the one it opened in.

CPA membership contracts remain a dispute magnet

Section 14 of the Consumer Protection Act 68 of 2008 and the Consumer Goods and Services Ombud's Advisory Note 12 on cancellation of contracts and penalties both remain current, and gym cancellation-fee disputes are still one of the most common complaints the Ombud deals with. [2](https://sheriahub.com/cases/za/caselaw/advisory-note-12-cancellation-of-contracts-and-charging-of-penalties-2021-zacgso-12-1-march-2021.pdf)

Nothing in the law itself changed recently, but it is worth re-checking that your membership agreement's cancellation clause reflects the reasonable-penalty standard rather than a flat balance-of-contract demand, since that is the clause most often struck down.

The somatology registration fight is unresolved

AHPCSA has signalled an intention to open a statutory register for somatologists under the Allied Health Professions Act 63 of 1982. The Employers' Organisation for Hairdressing, Cosmetology and Beauty, along with UASA, Solidarity and the National Bargaining Council for the sector, formally objected in late 2025, arguing the proposal does not account for the range of work somatologists actually do. [3](https://www.eohcb.co.za/post/eohcb-stance-on-the-allied-health-professions-act-somatologists-scope-under-allied-health-professi)

This is not yet settled. If your spa employs somatologists performing advanced aesthetic treatments, treat this as a watch item rather than a closed question — confirm the current AHPCSA position before restructuring who may perform which treatment.

Do not assume the somatology registration question is resolved either way. Check AHPCSA's current published position before changing staffing or scope-of-practice policies on the strength of this proposal.

Frequently asked

Has the CPA's 20-business-day cancellation notice period changed?

No change was found to section 14 of the Consumer Protection Act 68 of 2008. The 20-business-day written notice period for cancelling a fixed-term agreement, such as a gym membership, still applies.

Are somatologists currently regulated by AHPCSA?

As of the sources reviewed, AHPCSA's proposal to open a statutory register for somatologists was still being contested by industry bodies and was not confirmed as finalised. Confirm the current position directly with AHPCSA before relying on either outcome.

Sources

TefCo Corporate Compliance (Pty) Ltd is a compliance management platform, not a legal, tax or advisory firm. This guide is general information, not advice. Fees, dates and thresholds change — confirm current figures with the regulator before you rely on them.