New regulations threaten thousands of jobs in the beauty industry

New regulations that would require mandatory registration and licensing for specialists in the somatology industry threaten the future of numerous businesses in this field and could lead to unnecessary job losses. This is the argument put forward by Solidarity in a formal letter to the Minister of Health, Dr Aaron Motsoaledi, in which they object to the proposed regulations of the Allied Health Professions Council of South Africa (AHPCSA). The decision on the proposed regulations now rests with the minister. Solidarity therefore insists that the minister consider thorough consultation processes beforehand and provide clear accompanying guidelines. According to Johan Roos, network organiser at Solidarity, there was insufficient consultation with interest groups in the industry before the regulations were drafted. “We do not object to regulation within the industry. However, these are unnecessary and excessive provisions that could lead to thousands of people losing their jobs and small businesses being forced to close their doors,” says Roos. According to Solidarity, the mandatory registration will harm individuals, practices, and students, and will also entail high costs and complicated compliance requirements. This includes the requirement that a somatologist may only operate from a registered practice and may no longer, as is currently the case, provide services such as laser treatment or sell specialised products from beauty salons or other premises. “These regulations will place a financial burden on especially small and medium-sized businesses that are already under pressure. There is no clarity on how the state plans to assist businesses and practitioners during this transitional phase. “This poses a threat to in-store sales, the recognition of international qualifications from beauty schools, and the future of therapists trained through short courses. “The proposed provisions therefore have far-reaching consequences for individual somatologists, training institutions, product suppliers, and medical spa businesses,” says Roos. In its letter to the minister, Solidarity requests the immediate review or withdrawal of the regulations and calls for thorough consultation with all relevant role players before any policy changes are implemented. According to Roos, Solidarity clearly outlined the potential harm these regulations could cause in its discussions with the Department of Health.

Click here for the letter to the minister.