Comply or close shop. That's the stern warning from KwaZulu-Natal economic development, tourism and environmental affairs MEC Sihle Zikalala to illegal traders in the province.

Zikalala has vowed to clamp down on illegal trading and has warned that the days of businesses  making roaring trade illegally are over.

The department on Tuesday launched a campaign to root out illegal trading, which included an inspection by Zikalala of some businesses suspected to be trading illegally.

"Illegal trading is coming to an end in KZN. We support businesses that comply with legislation. To put it more bluntly, the days of illegal trading are over,"  said Zikalala during the official launch of the campaign at the Durban City Hall.

Addressing various business organisations and senior government officials, Zikalala said the launch was part of a province-wide programme to mobilise stakeholders to work together to end illegal trading.

The campaign, he said, would highlight the support available from the provincial government, municipalities and development agencies to support the small business sector and co-operatives.

"Comply or close shop. SA is a rules-based country founded on the supremacy of the constitution and the rule of law. Our laws and regulations apply to all, not some.

"Businesses must meet their legal obligations. Compliance means obeying regulations deriving from our laws,” said Zikalala.

He said a lack of sufficient regulatory coverage of businesses in the legislation had resulted in trade in counterfeit goods which were harmful to the public, the mushrooming of illegal businesses, more decay in the inner cities and prohibited activities such as drug trafficking, human trafficking, illegal sale of alcohol, and brothels.

 The department has developed new legislation to regulate all business in the province. Its major thrust is to provide for measures to protect consumers against unhealthy, harmful and unsafe goods and business practices. It will also provide for the designation of licensing, permits and registration authorities, committees and officers and their objects, powers, duties and functions.

The legislation will also provide for a standardised framework for the regulation  of informal trading, as well as provide a conducive environment to ensure graduation of small businesses in the informal sector into the mainstream economy.