Section I

Section I of the SIC 7 covers accommodation and food service activities, with 16 SIC codes describing the hospitality industry. This section is used by hotels, guest houses, B&Bs, lodges, resorts, camping sites, restaurants, fast-food outlets, takeaways, mobile food services, event caterers, bars, taverns and other beverage-serving establishments.

The codes are grouped into two divisions: accommodation (Division 55) and food and beverage service activities (Division 56). Each SIC code page on the site provides the official Stats SA description, the parent division, the SETA allocation — typically CATHSSETA (Culture, Arts, Tourism, Hospitality and Sport SETA) — and links to related OFO occupation codes and NQF qualifications for chefs, waiters, hospitality managers, housekeepers, baristas and tourism guides.

Use Section I when registering a hospitality or tourism business with CIPC, applying for a TGCSA grading, completing Liquor Licence applications, submitting workplace skills plans to CATHSSETA, claiming the Tourism Equity Fund or other DTIC incentives, or preparing the Tourism Sector B-BBEE scorecard. The classification also supports VAT registration thresholds and SARS industry coding for the food service industry.

Whether you run a five-star hotel, a township shisanyama, a beach lodge, a coffee shop, an Airbnb or a corporate catering company, Section I gives you the correct SIC reference and connects it to the wider regulatory, skills and tax framework.