South African businesses are facing renewed scrutiny over how they accommodate customers with disabilities, after a series of incidents involving guide dogs and service animals exposed what disability advocates describe as a persistent lack of awareness.
For retailers, restaurants and other customer-facing businesses, the issue extends beyond customer service.
Experts warn that refusing access to a person accompanied by a legitimate assistance animal could potentially raise questions around unfair discrimination, while inadequate staff training can expose businesses to reputational and legal risks.
Two recent incidents have brought the issue sharply into the public spotlight.
A visually impaired man and his guide dog were initially denied entry to Gardenia Park SPAR in Bloemfontein, while a quadriplegic person was reportedly denied access to Tortellino D’Oro restaurant in Sandton, Johannesburg, with his service animal.
The incidents have prompted renewed calls for businesses to ensure that their employees and security personnel understand the rights of people who rely on trained assistance animals.
SPAR apologises after guide dog incident
The SPAR Group confirmed that it was aware of the incident at the independently owned Gardenia Park SPAR involving a visually impaired customer and his guide dog.
Mpudi Maubance, group head of public relations, communications and sponsorship manager at The SPAR Group, said the store manager intervened as soon as the matter was brought to his attention.
The manager apologised to the customer and welcomed him and his guide dog into the store. The matter was subsequently resolved amicably and the customer was able to complete his shopping.
“We regret the distress and frustration caused by the incident,” Maubance said.
SPAR said it remained committed to providing an inclusive and welcoming environment where customers were treated with dignity, respect and fairness.
The retailer is engaging with its security service provider regarding the incident and said they will reinforce the appropriate treatment of customers with disabilities, including customers who rely on guide dogs.
SPAR added that it would review the awareness and guidance provided to relevant store and security personnel to help prevent similar incidents in future.
“SPAR does not tolerate discrimination and remains committed to ensuring that our stores are welcoming and accessible to all customers,” Maubance said.
Lack of awareness remains a concern
Pieter van Niekerk, head of public relations at the South African Guide Dogs Association, said businesses needed greater awareness of assistance animals and the standards governing their training.
Although the association is affiliated with Assistance Dogs International and the International Guide Dog Federation, Van Niekerk said there was no controlling or regulatory authority in South Africa to which assistance dog and training principles had to conform.
“It is reality that we now have more training institutions and dog schools making a variety of assistance dogs available, however the emphasis should be on accredited training,” Van Niekerk said.
He said substandard training was becoming problematic as individuals and training schools could offer online training and so-called certification, while service dog vests were also available from online retailers.
“This is not certified training by an accredited training institution,” Van Niekerk said.
The association has urged people who encounter access disputes to report them so that it can engage with the relevant business and help resolve misunderstandings.
It also offers access awareness and sensitisation training that businesses can incorporate into company policies or use as refresher training for employees across their networks.
Businesses cannot simply rely on no pet policies
The distinction between a pet and a trained assistance animal is particularly important for businesses.
Veroshen Naidoo, chief investment officer at Business Partners Limited, said companies needed to recognise that service dogs and other recognised assistance animals were working animals rather than pets.
“While businesses may have no pet policies, service dogs and other recognised assistance animals are not pets,” Naidoo said.
“They are trained working animals that enable persons with disabilities to access services and participate fully in society.”
Naidoo said refusing entry to someone because they were accompanied by a service animal could amount to unfair discrimination on the basis of disability.
Businesses, he said, had a responsibility to uphold food safety standards and accessibility, adding that the two objectives were not mutually exclusive.
“The key is ensuring that business owners understand their legal obligations, have clear policies in place, and train frontline staff to distinguish between pets and legitimate assistance animals,” Naidoo said.
South Africa’s Constitution and the Promotion of Equality and Prevention of Unfair Discrimination Act promote equality and prohibit discrimination. Naidoo said these principles could require reasonable accommodation for people with disabilities, including those who rely on assistance animals.
He also pointed to efforts to strengthen legal protections for assistance animals, including a Bill currently before Parliament.
With approximately 3.3 million South Africans living with disabilities according to Stats SA’s 2022 report, Naidoo said businesses should take proactive steps to ensure customers who rely on assistance animals were treated with dignity and respect.
“Many incidents of this nature arise not from ill intent, but from a lack of awareness,” Naidoo said. “Therefore, entrepreneurs should familiarise themselves with legislation and ensure their staff are appropriately trained to avoid unnecessary exclusion, discrimination and reputational risk.”
Restaurant incident raises further questions
The second incident involved a quadriplegic person who was reportedly denied access to Tortellino D’Oro in Sandton with his service animal.
A social media post by the user wanderlistfoodie said the family had been told that the service dog could not enter the restaurant despite explaining that it was a trained service animal.
Van Niekerk said that, in his opinion, the establishment had not acted in line with the Constitution and discrimination legislation.
He said the business had instead relied on the principle of a right of admission and argued that customers could choose to dine without dogs being present.
According to Van Niekerk, the restaurant had created an outside area where people with dogs could sit.
“The business owner acts to be a dog lover, but is adamant that their restaurant is not a dog friendly venue, although they are welcome to use the outside area especially created for this,” Van Niekerk said.
The incident highlighted the importance of businesses understanding that assistance animals cannot simply be treated in the same way as ordinary pets.
Access disputes can have lasting consequences
The issue is not confined to recent incidents.
Layla Marques, a social media consultant who uses a service dog, said she was asked to leave a retail store at Menlyn Maine in 2023.
Marques said she was told that only guide dogs were allowed and that customers could see she was not blind. She said she attempted to show the manager her service dog’s identification but was dismissed.
She said she believed staff needed better training regarding service animals and the law.
Marques said she later received an apology from the retailer and a store voucher, as well as assurances that staff would receive further education, but she continued to experience situations where she had to explain the role of her service dog to staff and security personnel.
Marques recently lost her service dog, Blue, to bone cancer and has a BackaBuddy campaign to raise funds to train her new service animal, Lego.
Training could prevent costly mistakes
The South African Guide Dogs Association said assistance dogs include guide dogs, service dogs, autism support dogs and puppies in training.
The association currently breeds between 80 and 100 puppies annually and follows standards established by the International Guide Dog Federation and Assistance Dogs International.
Its #BetterTogether campaign has also highlighted the importance of accredited training and high standards for assistance dogs, while promoting greater understanding among businesses and the public.
A landmark Equality Court judgment handed down in March 2019 found that denying access to a guide dog owner and her working dog constituted unfair discrimination on the grounds of disability.
For businesses, the message is increasingly clear. Accessibility cannot be left to individual employees or security guards to interpret at the door.
Clear policies, appropriate staff training and an understanding of the difference between pets and trained assistance animals can help businesses avoid unnecessary disputes while protecting the rights of customers.
For the millions of South Africans living with disabilities, access to shops, restaurants and other public spaces is not simply about convenience. It is closely linked to independence and participation in everyday economic and social life.
ashley.lechman@nationalmg.co.za