Following an escalation in the number of Covid-19 cases in the Witzenberg municipal district and the ninth positive case at its site, RFG has dramatically scaled down production at its fruit products factory in Tulbagh. The company has further confirmed the death of two employees although these have not been linked to Covid-19. At this
Each one of our restaurants is independently owned and operated under franchise. It is important to note that as our restaurants are largely sit down and the overhead structures associated with this business model are significant (measurably more than a quick service restaurant). Opening the doors for trade is not an inexpensive exercise and therefore
Heeding President Cyril Ramaphosa’s call for greater private sector support in the fight against Covid-19, the Massmart Board and Executive Committee will personally fund, through a waiver of a portion of their monthly remuneration, 230 tons of food for distribution to vulnerable communities. This personal contribution will be made to FoodForward South Africa via deliveries
The Edcon group have announced, that the Board of Edcon has passed a resolution authorizing it to file for business rescue in the course of the next few days. Following the coronavirus outbreak in South Africa, and the President’s first announcement on Sunday, 15th March Edcon has lost R2bn in sales. The sales miss, and
A number of innovative new online services recently launched by the Shoprite Group have been making life a whole lot easier. And the good news is, they’re here to stay – even beyond the national lockdown. Virtual Vouchers South Africans who wish to reach out and help those in need can now purchase a virtual grocery
Cognizance has some very experienced FMCG and business executives on their board. The board is formed by Neil Brimacombe (Ex Tiger Brands Exec), David Brown (Lead non exec Vodacom), and Stef Riccardi (CEO CKR Engineers). Additionally, Cognizance has strategic alliances with Retail Development Solutions Pty for Category Insights and Pack and Stack Merchandising Pty. With
37% of South Africans say they are shopping online more Permanent uplift in online shopping expected With the current lockdown and temporary ban of non-essential products and services, consumers have switched to digital shopping alternatives with 37% of South Africans saying they are shopping more online, according to a recent Nielsen syndicated study on the
“As a group, we operate across eight geographies and run various businesses across the value chain in the FMCG space, from distribution to in-store execution. MACmobile software allows us to enhance our capability within our organisation and offer our clients increased efficiency and effectiveness. Acquiring a shareholding in the businesses allows us to develop a
New e-commerce store provides free website with integrated digital payments African digital payments company, DPO Group, has launched an e-commerce store. Powered by Mastercard’s payments gateway technology, the platform will enable merchants across Africa to swiftly move their businesses online and continue to trade with their customers. The end to end e-commerce solution, called
Leading e-tailer releases lockdown shopping trends and stats on new donation portal As the country enters into its fourth week of lockdown, South African consumers have embraced the concept of online shopping – not only for themselves, but also to assist the many families who are in desperate need of financial relief during the COVID-19
Stanchion Payment Solutions, a global specialist in payments systems and integration, has appointed Kevin Blackwell as its new managing director for the Middle East. Kevin replaces Steven Kirrage, who was appointed as Stanchion’s global CEO in March this year. Based in Dubai, Kevin will lead Stanchion’s growth in the strategically important Middle East territory. He
South Africans who want to reach out and help fellow citizens who are economically destitute, in a time where physical contact is severely restricted due to the lockdown, can now buy virtual vouchers via an electronic funds transfer (EFT). The EFT functionality adds to the convenience of buying virtual vouchers, which were recently introduced and
The annual South African Dairy Championships is one of Agri-Expo’s most prestigious events. This year, eighty independent judges were called on to appraise 975 dairy products from 74 producers. The winning products are crowned SA Champions and only a few products are awarded the celebrated Qualité Mark of Excellence. It is noteworthy that these championships
The Argility Technology Group (ATG) has announced a strategic investment in Neo Retail Solutions – a company that specialises in the development; design and build, plus marketing, of automated retail technology solutions. This is the enterprise software solutions group’s sixth investment in just over two years. Neo develops smart, integrated selling platforms for high risk
As South Africa moves into its fourth week of a national lockdown, the citrus industry continues to focus on ensuring consumers have access to fresh citrus fruit while safeguarding the health of its workers. In this regard we are pleased to have seen an increase in demand for lemons from overseas markets, with 4,5 million
Tiendeo launches a cool new tool to avoid long queues and crowds in South Africa responding to the unique needs of RSA consumers and retailers “Is there a queue?”, integrates the data obtained from Tiendeo’s advanced geotracking technology with feedback from actual consumers in supermarkets. In this way, a real-time estimate of waiting times is
Right now, most owners of small and medium size (“SME”) businesses have been out of business for three weeks. Some have been able to continue paying their employees, their rent, their utility bills, their creditors – others have not. With another two (at least} business-less weeks to come, there is little doubt that most businesses
The Shoprite Group’s customers can now pay for groceries with their phones as the retailer continues to find new ways to keep its stores, customers and employees safe during the Covid-19 pandemic. It is the first South African food retailer to offer dynamic QR payments which will be available at the tills in all Shoprite, Usave, Checkers and Checkers Hyper stores
Zambeef’s Zamshu shoe division is using its stitching expertise to make thousands of face masks to help protect people from the COVID-19 disease. The company has bought more than K100,000 of fabric and is aiming to make 25,000 protective masks over the next eight weeks. “COVID-19 has affected all sectors of our society; businesses, institutions
Customers can download the Mr D Food app, phone their MediRite pharmacy, place an order and pay for it via EFT or medical aid. MediRite will process the order and customers can then order their delivery on the app to receive their medicine at home. The initiative will be rolled out initially across 55 of the
In keeping with its famous motto, Zambeef has vowed to continue feeding the nation, despite the Coronavirus disease (COVID-2019) outbreak. The country’s largest food producer and retailer continues to stand true to its mission despite the COVID-19 pandemic that is adversely impacting the manufacturing sector in Zambia and beyond. The viral disease is threatening the
SPAR’s core values incorporate family, community, and the ability to inspire people to do and be more. Here, we share just three examples of community support in South Africa given by independent SPAR retailers in response to challenging circumstances of the national lockdown as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Support for orphaned children in
Vivo Energy Uganda has announced the introduction of a free home delivery solution for Shell Gas. This is in a bid to bring services closer and offer greater convenience, safe transportation and doorstep delivery of Shell Gas to customers. The move follows restrictions put in place by the Uganda government to stem the spread of
In light of the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic, the retail sector is facing unprecedented challenges, as is every other industry to a greater or lesser degree. However, ScanZone, a technology supplier to the industry, believes that the current slowdown may be a window of opportunity for retailers to retrospectively look at their journey into e-commerce platforms.
SPAR Nigeria operates 14 hypermarkets in several major cities around the country. A government lock down from 3rd April in response to the corona virus COVID-19 outbreak, led to them changing their store opening hours and introduce online ordering for home delivery. Having seen that shoppers were purchasing larger volumes than normal of many products,
South Africa can expect significant growth in contactless payments on the back of Covid-19. It is also likely that the public’s newfound (and sensible) aversion to contact will spur additional innovation, especially given the uncertainty around second and third waves, says South Africa’s largest payment solution provider, DPO SA. “There is no doubt that an
Vivo Energy Uganda, the distributor and marketer of Shell branded fuels and lubricants in Uganda, has contributed 50 Million Uganda shillings worth of fuel (about 13,000 litres) to support the mobility of the Ministry of Health Emergency teams countrywide in a bid to further mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 global pandemic. In addition, the
Connected customers expect a hyper-personalised, effortless experience but organisations are slow to respond. Only 9% of organisations say customers rate brand experiences as fully satisfactory, with satisfaction around AI and robotics experiences faring even worse. Customer experience continues to be one of the greatest challenges to businesses across Africa and the Middle East, at a
Stanchion Payment Solutions, a global specialist in payments systems and integration, has announced that it has appointed Steven Kirrage as its global CEO with effect from the 16th March 2020. Graham Williams, the outgoing CEO, will assume the position of Chairman and will continue to provide strategic guidance to the board. Based in Dubai, Kirrage
Fair Cape Dairies is delighted to announce that it has won seven Qualité Awards at this year’s South African National Dairy Championships. A Qualité Award is a symbol of outstanding quality for dairy products which is only awarded to South African Dairy Champions which have obtained a specific minimum point on the international scorecard. The Fair
As Dis-Chem Pharmacies are part of the essential services available to South Africans during the lockdown period, its employees are placed under additional pressure to ensure that shelves remain fully stocked and that its stores and staff uphold stringent health and hygiene measures. To strengthen current health and safety measures, all employees are being offered
Massmart announces a price freeze in all our Makro, Cambridge Food, Game and Cash & Carry stores for the duration of the 21-day nationwide lockdown. This will involve suspending price adjustments that were scheduled, as part of the normal course of business, before the lockdown was announced. Fresh produce, which is procured daily from fresh
Africa’s leading eCommerce platform Jumia has announced the implementation of ‘contactless’ delivery for prepaid packages on the platform. The company is taking additional measures to keep consumers, delivery agents and partners safe in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak. To drive the initiative, the ‘contactless safe delivery’ option has been implemented on JumiaPay, the payment
RFG increased turnover by 7.6% for the five months to February 2020 as the group’s regional business lifted sales by 9.3% while international turnover declined by 1.7% owing to a marked slowdown in exports to China following the outbreak of COVID-19. Regional fresh foods turnover increased by 15.9% for the five months, with the performance
After launching Euronews on its platforms in November, the MultiChoice Group has just launched Africanews (www.Africanews.com) – part of the Euronews group. The channel is available on DStv and GOtv and offers millions of households across Africa access to a pan-African multilingual news channel. As the COVID-19 crisis develops and spreads across the African continent, the
Shareholders have approved the change of the listed holding company’s name from Rhodes Food Group Holdings to RFG Holdings. CEO Bruce Henderson said the objective of adopting the name RFG is to create an identity and branding for the holding company which is distinct from the main operating subsidiary, Rhodes Food Group, and the group’s
The Board of Directors and management of Famous Brands have been vigilantly monitoring the Covid19 situation since the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared the outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern on 30 January 2020. Across all our trading jurisdictions, we fully endorse the various governments’ decisive actions to contain the spread and impact
The impact of the Coronavirus on Tiger Brands’ manufacturing capability has been minimal thus far. We are monitoring the spread of the virus and its impact very closely, and at this stage, we do not believe that there is a major threat to the availability of food in the country or our ability to produce
The Edcon Group has announced, following the President’s first announcement on Sunday, 15 March, that Edcon’s turnover has declined 45% in comparison to the same period last year and will be R400m below forecast for sales and cash for the month of March – when COVID-19 started to profoundly impact the South African economy. The
In response to government’s call on citizens to refrain from excessive purchasing and stockpiling goods as it intensifies its efforts to contain the coronavirus (COVID-19), Dis-Chem Pharmacies has advised that it will be limiting the number of items consumers can purchase. With immediate effect, shoppers will be able to purchase a maximum of six units
“Feeling the Pinch? Buy a Business” is possibly one of the most juxtaposing statements off the back of a dismal 2019 GDP performance, the Rand’s current position, consistent rolling blackouts and now, coronavirus having hit South African shores. Yet, when asked to repeat himself, Sean Stegmann – CEO of SA’s largest second-hand retailer, Cash Crusaders
The Shoprite Group is committed to adhere to the strict measures put in place by the South African government following President Cyril Rhamaphosa’s announcement of a National state of Disaster, and are following any directives to stay abreast of information and required actions to be taken in relation to the effect of Covid-19 on its
Restaurants can survive Covid-19 and play a key role in communities says Mozambik Group chief executive Manny Nichas. While some restaurants have announced temporary closures in lieu of the outbreak, Nichas believes that the pandemic should be dealt with head-on. Stringent preventative regimes and innovative solutions will protect the interests of employees, customers and business.
Spur Corporation thanks you for the trust we know you place in us every time you choose to dine at our restaurants. These are unprecedented times for our industry, our country and the world. We would like to reassure our patrons that, their safety, health and wellbeing of all is our priority, and we are
With growing trends in digital evolution, personalisation and having a socio-economic impact, financial services cards and payment solutions have to evolve beyond swipes and complicated rewards. Iemas Financial Services has been in the game for over 80 years and has grown into the largest financial services co-operative in South Africa. One of Iemas’ flagship products
Africa’s leading e-Commerce platform Jumia has offered the support of its integrated ecosystem which include a marketplace, logistics and online payments to governments in Africa, as part of the global action against the COVID-19. “We are proud to partner with relevant authorities to help fight against COVID-19 and support our communities which continue to support
The Competition Tribunal has issued an order, giving approval to PepsiCo Inc.’s (“PepsiCo”) indirect acquisition of Pioneer Food Group Limited (“Pioneer”), through PepsiCo’s South African subsidiary, Simba (Pty) Ltd. The merger, one of PepsiCo’s largest acquisitions outside the US, is subject to several public interest conditions. It is also the first major transaction in which
In the interim, shareholders are provided with the following brief voluntary performance update on the business. This update pertains to the 52 weeks ended 29 February 2020 for the Group’s South Africa (“SA”) and rest of Africa and Middle East (“AME”) regions. The United Kingdom (“UK”) operation narrative relates to the Gourmet Burger Kitchen Restaurants
Rhodes Food Group is the second local supplier on Massmart’s new export programme to get listed with Walmart US. The South African based canned food company will be supplying Walmart US with an initial order of three canned pear variations. These include premium export quality 425 gram cans of pear slices in heavy syrup, 425gram
The Shoprite Group’s Portfolio Management Office (PMO) will represent South Africa at the 2020 Global PMO Awards after beating other top SA companies to take home the 2019 PMO of the Year Award. This annual competition is hosted by Project Management SA (PMSA), the industry body that represents the interests of project management professionals, and recognises the best resources,
