Barriers and Enablers to HACCP Implementation in Food Processing Small and Medium Enterprises in Southern Africa: A Scoping Review of Challenges and Opportunities for Food Safety Enhancement

Neophilia Didi; Blessing Silwangani

doi:10.36948/ijfmr.2026.v08i06.83607

Barriers and Enablers to HACCP Implementation in Food Processing Small and Medium Enterprises in Southern Africa: A Scoping Review of Challenges and Opportunities for Food Safety Enhancement

Author(s)	Ms. Neophilia Didi, Blessing Silwangani
Country	Zimbabwe
Abstract	Food safety is still a major public health issue worldwide. Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are the main players in the food processing industry in Southern Africa and play a significant role in employment, poverty reduction, food security and economic development. However, despite their contribution to the food safety management system in Southern Africa, a lot of SMEs are not equipped to implement internationally recognized food safety management systems such as Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP). HACCP is widely recognised as a good preventive strategy for food safety, product quality improvement, and access to domestic and international markets, yet it is still being implemented in the low-resource-rich SMEs in Southern Africa in a very different way. This scoping review is based on the existing empirical evidence on the barriers and benefits of implementing HACCP on food processing SMEs in Southern Africa. The review was conducted in a systematic manner according to international reporting guidelines. . Electronic databases were searched through PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, African Journals Online (AJOL) and Google Scholar as well as relevant grey literature from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), World Health Organization (WHO), Southern African Development Community (SADC) and government agencies. After screening and eligibility evaluation, 36 studies were included and the study was considered thematically. There were several common themes which were identified in the review, including poor financial resources, poor infrastructure, insufficient technical knowledge, low HACCP awareness, poor enforcement of the regulations, weak management and lack of trained staff. On the other side, successful HACCP implementation was supported by leadership commitment, continuous training of staff, government support, technical assistance, certification incentives, donor-funded programmes and partnerships with public institutions and industry.
Keywords	HACCP, Food Safety, Small and Medium Enterprises, Southern Africa, Food Processing, Scooping Review, Foodborne Diseases, Quality Management
Published In	Volume 8, Issue 6, November-December 2026
Published On	2026-11-03
DOI	https://doi.org/10.36948/ijfmr.2026.v08i06.83607

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Barriers and Enablers to HACCP Implementation in Food Processing Small and Medium Enterprises in Southern Africa: A Scoping Review of Challenges and Opportunities for Food Safety Enhancement

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