Sanjeev Raghubir has been appointed as Group Sustainability Manager at the Shoprite Group. Raghubir will be responsible for establishing a comprehensive sustainability strategy for the Group, which will also strengthen its ability to reduce its reliance on natural resources, while minimising its environmental footprint. Raghubir has a chemical engineering degree from the University of Natal,
TFG (The Foschini Group), a South African retail group operating in thirty-two countries across five continents, has chosen Oracle to support its digital transformation strategy with the consolidation of twenty-two brands into one online marketplace. With close to 3000 stores, TFG migrated its brick-and-mortar offering to a hassle free digital platform and now offers the
GCB Bank Limited has financed the purchase of over 30 duty vehicles for the carting of cocoa from the hinterlands to the ports. The vehicles include 30 Howo light duty and 10 heavy duty trucks as well as tractors with trailors for unmotorable roads. A ceremony to hand over the trucks to Royal Commodities Limited,
Kellogg Company will continue its School Feeding Program and launch two new initiatives in Egypt Kellogg Company, the world’s leading cereal company; second largest producer of cookies, crackers and savory snacks; a leading North American frozen foods company; and owner of Bisco Misr, Egypt’s leading biscuits company and Mass Food company, recently signed a partnership
Coca-Cola Expands Minority Investment to Full Ownership of Africa’s Leading Producer of Juice and Value-Added Dairy Beverages The Coca-Cola Company has announced that it has completed its acquisition of Chi Ltd. in Nigeria. Coca-Cola first announced a minority investment in Chi three years ago and, as planned, has now acquired full ownership of the company. Chi
South African multi-chain retailer chooses Centric PLM to support rapid growth, integrate suppliers and enhance visibility Cape Union Mart, the South African outdoor company, has selected Centric Software’s Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) solution. Centric Software provides the most innovative enterprise solutions to fashion, retail, footwear, outdoor, luxury and consumer goods companies to achieve strategic and
Total has agreed to develop joint activities in the downstream petroleum sector in Angola, with national company Sonangol. Already long-term partners in the upstream business, the two companies have decided to establish a Joint Venture company to develop a common retail and distribution activity in the country, the fourth largest market in sub-Saharan Africa. While
3-D Secure 2 access control server comes bundled with APIs for a wide range of in-app payment experiences Entersekt, an innovator in mobile-first fintech solutions, announced that it has gained EMVCo certification for its 3-D Secure 2 access control server. EMVCo is a payments industry consortium managing global specifications for secure card-based e-commerce transactions. Entersekt
Latest consumer confidence levels remain unchanged compared to previous quarter Job prospects continue to haunt South Africans with only 34% seeing them as positive in the next 12 months The Consumer Confidence Index (CCI) for South Africa for Q3, 2018 remains unchanged compared to the previous quarter, remaining at 90 with South Africans seemingly in
Shoprite is helping to ease the burden of rising education costs by offering its customers a basic school uniform for under R100 and giving more than 460 learners the opportunity to have their 2019 school fees paid for. For less than R100, customers are able to buy a basic school uniform consisting of a shirt,
JOHANNESBURG, GAUTENG, SOUTH AFRICA, January 16, 2019 — There is so much more in store for the African retail industry. According to research conducted by PWC, many sub-Saharan African countries have emerged among the world’s fastest-growing economies. This kind of development is due, in part, to a great deal of economic and
French multinational retailer, Carrefour has entered into a definitive agreement with Jumia, a Nigeria-based e-commerce platform to boost online grocery, beverages and other sales. A Business Daily report indicates that the deal will allow Carrefour customers purchase a wide selection of products from its six Nairobi stores on Jumia’s online platform starting January. Carrefour is
Kenya has recorded a 6.78% increase in milk production between the months of January 2018 to October 2018 as compared to last year attributed to favourable weather conditions during the period under review, reports Business Daily. This is equivalent to an increase to 517.6 million liters from 484.3 million liters recorded in the year 2018
Today marks the official opening of two new Game stores in Accra by popular retail chain; one in West Hills Mall and one in Achimota Retail Centre. The Game store in Accra Mall has undergone a major facelift and is also relaunching today. Since Game’s debut into Ghana in 2007, the company has supported the
The Kenya Meat Commission (KMC) has suspended over 60 workers from its Athi River based factory for allegedly participating in a work go slow that had seen the slaughter operation in the factory impaired, reports the Kenya News Agency. The commission through the Managing Commissioner, James Ole Serian issued an interdiction letter to the workers
With the opening of its new store in the Alberton North Shopping Centre in Gauteng, Shoprite created 95 new jobs. The store’s total staff complement is 110, which includes 102 youth (between the ages of 18 and 35) and 80 women. Shoprite Alberton North offers customers a convenient shopping experience with 13 pay points and
Unilever Ghana, the country’s largest producer and retailer of consumer goods has appointed Mrs Gladys Amoah as the new Managing Director effective November 1, 2018. Prior to her appointment, the new MD was the Customer Development Director of Unilever Ghana, a position served since 1 November 2016, according to GNA. She succeeds Mr Ziobeieton Yeo
Consumers are expected to purchase $2.65 trillion of physical goods on websites, mobile apps and other digital platforms globally in 2018, up from $2.24 trillion in 2017, according to Juniper Research. While digital commerce has become a preferred way to shop for many consumers, we continue to hear from consumers and merchants that the online
The global agricultural corporation, Cargill has announced plans for future investment in the chocolate business and support for cocoa farmers as it celebrates its 10th anniversary in Ghana. The company is also toasting to mark a decade of sustainability and innovation in the Ghana cocoa chain through its unique business model. Under its 2022 roadmap
Nestlé South Africa (Pty) Ltd has been recognised as the Number 1 Top Employer in the country. The announcement was made by the Top Employer Institute at the Top Employer Awards ceremony held at the Sandton Convention Centre, Johannesburg this evening. The Top Employer Institute Certification Programme assesses amongst others, an organisation’s practices on talent
A first for social media networking site, Facebook is opening up pop-stores however, only in the United States of America. Facebook has announced the opening of its first pop-up retail outlets in the USA, in partnership with Macy’s stores. Facebook is showcasing wares from 100 “most-loved” small businesses and digital-native brands on Facebook and Instagram
The onslaught from e-commerce means retailers must become smarter. Traditional brick-and-mortar retailers have no chance of surviving the onslaught from e-commerce unless they invest in their customer experience, says redPanda Software Group CEO Gareth Hawkey. If traditional retailers take on e-commerce providers at their own game by gathering insights and learning about their customers and
The opening of Shoprite Johannesburg CBD on Tuesday, 27 November 2018 created 18 new jobs. The store’s total staff complement is 36, which includes 25 women. The new store offers customers a convenient shopping experience with 12 pay points and access to a number of in-store fresh food departments including a Meat Market, Hot &
Despite the lackluster macro-economic indicators, South African tenacity showed itself once again as retailers – especially smaller stores – cashed in on the online space over the Black Friday and Cyber Monday weekend says Payment Service Provider, DPO PayGate. The annual shopping mega events of Black Friday and Cyber Monday, which take place immediately after
With the opening of its new supermarket at Kwa Thema Junction in Springs, Shoprite created 94 new jobs. The store’s total staff complement is 112, which includes 107 youth (between the ages of 18 and 35) and 82 women. The new store offers customers a convenient shopping experience with 16 pay points and access to
With the long-awaited Carbon Tax Bill now expected to be implemented in June of 2019, businesses still have some time to develop new energy strategies that can help to reduce their carbon footprint. To add to the woes of a carbon intensive footprint, the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) has also approved a
Coca-Cola Beverages Africa (CCBA) announces the appointment of Jacques Vermeulen, the current managing director of its international division, to the position of Group CEO of CCBA from 1 December. Vermeulen has served as managing director of CCBA’s International Division, which covers all of CCBA’s Africa operations outside South Africa, since July 2016. He first joined
The newly designed Vodacom World officially launched, Friday 07 December 2018. For six months, Vodacom worked on reinventing Vodacom World and now the facility offers new and exciting technologies. Inside the new facility, there is a Vodacom Shop as well as retail space. There is an Internet of Things (IoT) section where customers can get
With the opening of its new store in Mams Mall, Pretoria, Shoprite created 60 new jobs. The store’s total staff complement is 140, which includes 106 women. Customers eagerly gathered to be amongst the first to benefit from the store’s fantastic opening specials and were also treated to in-store competitions and delicious product tastings. Shoprite
Travelstart is pleased to announce a pay-in-store partnership with Pick n Pay. South Africans can now book their flights on Travelstart.co.za and pay for them at their nearest participating Pick n Pay store nationwide. Travelstart’s Head of Global Partnerships Odette Faling said the pay-in-store feature brings a new level of convenience for customers who enjoy
Ipsos South Africa has released the results of its inaugural survey measuring the influence that brands have on South Africans, at an event held at Melrose Arch on Friday, 16 November. The Most Influential Brands study unveils and ranks the most influential brands in South Africa, and offers a case study perspective on the dimensions
Zara’s global women’s men’s and kids’ collections will be available online for the first time to customers in Angola, Cameroon, Congo, Ivory Coast, Senegal, Kenya, Mali, Mozambique, Namibia, Tanzania, Madagascar, Zimbabwe and Ghana, among others. Zara will launch online sales through a dedicated worldwide online platform, thus bringing its fashions to customers in 106 new
Easy and seamless payments are one of the key concerns for large retailers. As new technologies emerge, and the payments ecosystem evolves, retailers must stay ahead of customer expectations around availability, channel variety, and ease-of-use. “The payment environment in retail must not only ensure high availability and performance, but is also a key part of
Enterprises in Southern East Africa and Mauritius are rapidly stepping up their efforts to boost customer experience, reports omnichannel customer experience specialist Genesys. Genesys, currently experiencing strong growth in the region, says enterprises in key African development hubs are fast catching up with their international counterparts in terms of next-generation omnichannel customer service, sales and
Traditional retailers cannot compete with online retailers when it comes to price and merchandise and need to bring something to the table that online retailers cannot. This is according to Gareth Hawkey, Group CEO at redPanda Software, who notes that traditional retailers will, therefore, have to find technology that will change the whole in-store experience
During the first half of its 2019 financial year, the chain grew by seven stores, which added R155m to revenue, helping its overall interim revenue grow 9.4% to R10.5bn. Dis-Chem ended August with 136 stores, 18 more than it had at the end of the first half of its 2018 financial year. “Two stores have
Loyalty members of Pick n Pay Smart Shopper will soon be able to earn points when they refuel at BP service stations. This means that customers can soon earn points both at the pump and in BP’s forecourt Pick n Pay Express convenience store. Expected to launch later this year, the extended partnership between Pick
The Shoprite Group, the only national retailer with a verified 100% recycled shopping bag in all its supermarkets, has announced that it will now be rewarding customers for using their newly introduced “planet” bags in both Shoprite and Checkers stores. Made from 100% recycled and recyclable plastic, the bigger and stronger “planet” bags retail for
Coca-Cola Beverages Africa (CCBA) is evolving to become a total beverage company in response to changing consumer tastes and buying habits. In this context its portfolio of beverages is expanding significantly with the introduction of new products and the introduction of different categories of beverages. Part of this new way of doing business, CCBA in
Despite challenging global economic conditions, retail sales in South Africa rose 1.3% year-on-year in July. Even though this is in line with expectations, it is still a positive sign that consumers have been willing to spend amidst pressure to tighten budgets. And yet, anecdotal evidence from many retailers suggest that certain product categories are struggling.
Checkers is making healthier alternatives to everyday products more accessible and affordable with the launch of Simple Truth, its new private label wellness range. All Simple Truth products adhere to three promises: No artificial colours or flavours No artificial sweeteners No added MSG The demand for healthier products and greater convenience has steadily been increasing
Leading footwear brand, Olympic International, has shown a 25% year on year growth, despite tough economic conditions. The brand – originally inspired by the two biggest sports in South Africa, football and rugby – continues its expansion into the disciplines that are changing the face of sport in the country, as well as on the
Shopping, buying train tickets or hailing a cab online help make the everyday easier. In this digital age where more than half of online shoppers save their credit card info on multiple online sites and the industry average for online checkout is ten minutes, there’s still room for improvement. Mastercard has introduced Digital Commerce Solutions
Nielsen has added a new product solution to their Shopper toolkit – a creative and unique solution for retailers and manufacturers globally, helping them get closer to shopper behaviour at the moment of truth and uncover What’s Next. The solution helps retailers measure, evaluate and optimize a range of retail concepts on sales and profit,
The store of the future will use seamlessly integrated technology to create a wonderful retail experience for all its customers, says Metacom CEO Réan van Niekerk — and lower costs at the same time. “What makes a retail experience great is being recognised and valued as an individual,” says Van Niekerk. “50 years ago, or
Verifone is excited to introduce EZ-Receipt, a software cloud-based technology that seamlessly generates an electronic receipt at the pump, creating a fast and simple pay-and-go payment experience. Additionally, EZ-Receipt reduces merchant operating costs and paper waste, as well as inconvenience associated with maintaining trouble-prone gas pump printers. “Because of our dominant market share, EZ-Receipt is
South Africans are under pressure as indicated by the latest results of The Conference Board® Global Consumer Confidence Survey, conducted in collaboration with Nielsen, which reflects a 5-point decrease in South African consumer confidence to 90 in Q2, 2018. Nielsen Sub-Saharan Africa MD Bryan Sun comments; “Consumer confidence in South Africa dropped in Quarter 2,
CCV, one of the largest payment service providers and suppliers of payment solutions in Europe, and PAX Technology Limited, subsidiary of PAX Global Technology Limited (“PAX Global”), one of the leading electronic payment terminals solutions providers, have entered into an agreement to set up a joint venture company, C2P Convenient to Payments GmbH, a Berlin
South African consumers are facing an increasingly stressful, time-starved lifestyle which has created a burgeoning demand for convenient solutions that can help simplify their lives and points to a host of untapped opportunities for South African manufacturers and retailers. This stems from the latest report from global measurement company Nielsen, which focuses on the Quest
FoodForward SA has introduced the FoodShare Digital Platform, a technological answer to the logistical demands of an organisation that recovers surplus food in the supply chain for redistribution to registered non-profit organisations. Usually, FoodForward SA requires a major logistical operation to collect, sort, and warehouse surplus food from donors and to distribute the products to
