Die voedselhanteerders kom die higiënevereiste na.

Because nakom is a separable verb in Afrikaans.

In a normal main clause, the finite verb goes to the second position, and the separable particle moves to the end:

• Die voedselhanteerders kom die higiënevereiste na.

So although the dictionary form is nakom, it often appears split in sentences.

No. In this sentence, na is not the preposition meaning after.

It is the second part of the separable verb nakom. So kom ... na functions as one verbal idea.

That means you should understand:

• kom ... na = nakom

not

• kom = come
• na = after

word for word.

Not in a normal main clause.

In a main clause, separable verbs usually split:

• Die voedselhanteerders kom die higiënevereiste na.

You see nakom written together in other structures, for example:

• dat die voedselhanteerders die higiënevereiste nakom
• om die higiënevereiste na te kom
• hulle het die higiënevereiste nagekom

So the split form in your sentence is the normal one for this clause type.

That is normal word order with separable verbs in Afrikaans.

The pattern is often:

• subject + finite verb + object + particle

So here:

• Die voedselhanteerders = subject
• kom = finite verb
• die higiënevereiste = object
• na = separable particle

This is why the sentence ends with na.

Because Afrikaans verbs usually do not change form for person or number in the present tense.

Compare:

• ek kom
• jy kom
• hy kom
• ons kom
• hulle kom

So Die voedselhanteerders kom is completely normal. Unlike English, Afrikaans does not usually add something like -s for he/she/it in the present tense.

Here, both die words mean the.

Afrikaans uses die as the definite article for:

• singular nouns
• plural nouns

So:

• die voedselhanteerders = the food handlers
• die higiënevereiste = the hygiene requirement

Afrikaans does not have different forms like English the vs gendered articles such as German der/die/das.

It is a compound noun, which is very common in Afrikaans.

It is built from:

• voedsel = food
• hanteerder = handler

Then the plural is:

• hanteerders = handlers

So voedselhanteerders literally means food handlers.

Afrikaans often joins words together into one long noun instead of writing them separately.

It is singular.

You can tell because the noun ends in -e as part of the word itself, not as a plural marker here. The plural would normally be:

• higiënevereistes

So:

• die higiënevereiste = the hygiene requirement
• die higiënevereistes = the hygiene requirements

This is also a compound noun:

• higiëne
  • vereiste

Yes. Vereiste is related to the verb vereis, which means to require.

So:

• vereis = require
• vereiste = requirement

That is a common pattern in Afrikaans: a noun is formed from a related verb.

The ë shows that the vowels are pronounced in separate syllables.

So in higiëne, the vowel sequence is not read as one single combined sound. The diaeresis helps you see that the word should be broken up more clearly.

This is a common spelling feature in Afrikaans.