In a first for retail in South Africa, the Shoprite Group has acquired over 100 of the most fuel-efficient trucks in Southern Africa. The Scania Euro V trucks have a proven fuel saving of around 10% along with lower CO2 and NOx emissions. The Group’s world-class supply chain – which includes 29 distribution centres covering
Food costs are soaring with the war in Ukraine, interest rate hikes, fuel increases, and changed weather patterns. A KZN-based startup is focusing on driving down the cost of food by cutting out middlemen and reducing transport costs while increasing profits for farmers. AgriKool, an e-trading platform, connects agricultural producers to buyers to facilitate the
Spur Corporation increased headline earnings by 31% to R121 million in the year to June 2022 as the group reported a strong post COVID-19 lockdown trading recovery and capitalised on increasing restaurant foot traffic. Group revenue grew by 32.5% to R2.4 billion, with improved franchised restaurant turnover, higher sales in the company-owned restaurants and increased
Growthpoint Properties (JSE: GRT) is piloting a 4.5MW battery system at Paarl Mall in the Western Cape to store electricity for its continuous, cost-efficient power supply. This is the largest commercial battery installation in South Africa to date, and it will be partly charged by Paarl Mall’s new rooftop solar PV plant, extending the positive
Additional energy efficiency initiatives aim to maximise efforts to reduce the company’s reliance on the national grid and minimise impact on the environment Tiger Brands will soon begin rolling out solar power at its manufacturing sites. This kicks off a multi-million-rand investment with the goal to have 65% of the business’ electricity requirements at a
Annual CPG sales top R527-Billion Liquor sector continues to rebound Food inflation remains a thorn in the side of consumers increasing by 8.1% versus a year ago The South African manufacturing and retail sectors remain stoic in the face of a continued onslaught of input prices, and consumers feeling the full effects of their severely
The company has quadrupled its business globally since the start of the pandemic and launched two products in the same period As of today, Bolt is present in 45 countries and over 500 cities, an increase of more than 200% before the pandemic In South Africa, Bolt is available in 9 provinces and a total
Global Alliance Africa, a project delivered by Innovate UK KTN and Unilever have today announced Sharon Rapetswa as the winner of their Innovation Exchange Challenge, designed to help the multinational consumer goods company find inventive solutions and innovative approaches towards the development of new circular business models for plastic reuse and refill. With her idea
SPAR South Africa partnered with local producer Rama to raise funds for Early Childhood Development (ECD) centres across the country. Over half a million South African Rands worth of nutritious meals will be distributed, thanks to the support of customers. Earlier this year, Rama committed to donating one meal to a child in need for
The Shoprite Group was the first retailer to celebrate the enormous contribution of South African women to society when Government announced National Women’s Day in 1996 when it introduced a significant campaign that ran for 17 years to celebrate women, the nationally acclaimed Shoprite Checkers Women of the Year Awards. More than 25 years later
Many women juggle the role of both worker and matriarch, playing an integral role in society by not only taking on the responsibilities of raising the next generation and being the cornerstone of the family; but also by playing an active part in South Africa’s economy. This is according to Marine van Brakel, Chief Operating
Twelve of top 20 product categories experience double-digit inflation Price increases starting to impact unit sales Annual FMCG retail sales total R523-Billio The stranglehold of the current 13-year inflation high on consumer purchase patterns is clearly shown in the newly released NielsenIQ South Africa State of the Retail Nation report which shows that twelve out
OneDayOnly, South Africa’s biggest daily deals site, has just launched a brand new advertising campaign. “12 years ago, we started OneDayOnly with the mantra that every day was an opportunity to make someone feel like a big deal – bringing great deals on great brands to South Africans, every day”, Laurian Venter, Managing Director of
Rosebank Mall is home to an innovative new store which is so much more than it first appears to be! Re-purposing is fast becoming a way of life and the tech space should be no exception. With this in mind, David Hirsch – CEO of TechMarkit – has introduced his very own brand of pre-loved
General dealers have emerged as the most resilient sector in South African retail, growing sales 14.6% in real terms from January to May 2022 and winning a greater share of the cash-strapped consumer’s wallet. Their strong performance in a struggling retail sector can be largely attributed to consumers’ spending more of their incomes on necessities
RFG partnered with Ladles of Love this Mandela Day to make a difference to thousands of people who have been affected by food insecurity and hunger. “Food insecurity is an increasing concern in South Africa, with many of our communities either suffering from hunger or malnutrition, which has been worsened by the pandemic and by
Makro has undergone an accelerated e-commerce transformation programme in recent months, as part of Massmart’s overarching strategy to become a leading omnichannel (online and store) retailer in South Africa. The new native Makro app is the retailer’s first fully fledged and stand-alone shopping app, enabling customers to make purchases of general merchandise, liquor and pantry
A new podcast series hosted by broadcast journalist Redi Tlhabi will give listeners key insights and a greater understanding of the major issues around the state of our food nation. As the world faces complex issues around food, sustainability, waste, and how retailers and consumer choices alike impact our planet, gaining an understanding of the
Takealot.com, Superbalist.com and Mr D are once again joining forces by curating deals on favourite products across their respective platforms. The Ultimate Checkout brings together three of South Africa’s online greats to offer epic deals based on customer preferences. This customer-centric three-day sale (25 – 27 July 2022), which takes place annually, promises incredible deals
By Leon Jacobs, Chief Information Officer at RCS Driven by the engine of the fourth industrial revolution (4IR), digitisation was already gaining significant traction before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, it accelerated faster in two years than it had in almost a decade. The transition to a more digitised reality affected industries across
Imagine a future in which your new cell phone is delivered to your home by a courier who also sets up your new device for you. What about a courier who can deliver a spare part for your washing machine and install it while he is there? These were some of the scenarios explored by
Consumers are also largely in search of their perfect brand match, with 76% of South African respondents feeling that if they look hard enough, they can find a brand that fits their exact needs NielsenIQ updates consumer brand preferences –with a focus on small and medium brands – in its latest report According to the
The 9th of July marks one year since a wave of civil unrest destroyed thousands of shops and properties in parts of KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng. Durban’s iconic Makro store based in Springfield was severely damaged, succumbing to a huge fire, destroying much of its infrastructure. But after just five months, it was able to reopen
As the new cluster head for the Greater Zambezi region, Gomes brings 35 years of professional and managerial experience at Nestl Nestlé has appointed Luke Gomes as the new Cluster Head for the Greater Zambezi region, one of three clusters within Nestlé East and Southern Africa Region (ESAR). The cluster covers five countries, Zimbabwe, Zambia,
By Andrew Dawson, MD of MACMobile South Africa’s main market makes up a significant proportion of the local retail space and is one of the few segments in retail that is growing. As such, it presents a massive opportunity for parties further up the value chain to optimise processes, and digital transformation is one of
After announcing that it would be embarking on a turnaround strategy to retain relevance in the African retail landscape, retailer Game today announced that all 115 stores across the country have been refreshed to provide consumers with a more appealing and intuitive store experience. This is an important move for the retailer, as physical stores
South Africa’s food production and export industries are experiencing encouraging growth injections from the increase in demand for high value and diversified produce such as blueberries, macadamia nuts and citrus. The export demand in the blueberry industry alone is expected to grow by at least 44,000 tonnes by 2024. A critical enabling factor to support
Conveniently located inside your local SPAR is a range of authentic, ready-made, and artisanal food choices The SPAR Group (Pty) Ltd South Africa has launched The FOOD STALL at SPAR which is rolling out across the deli service counters across many SPAR stores nationwide. The first FOOD STALL served customers in Ladysmith KwaZulu-Natal in April
Savvy retail entrepreneurs look at working capital as a means to shift their business to the next level. It is this perspective that puts the “opportunity” in opportunity capital and that empowers retail merchants to remain competitive and relevant. “We live in volatile times, with higher food and commodity prices, rising interest rates and changing consumer preferences, all
Philip Morris South Africa (PMSA) is accelerating its transformation to a smoke-free company with key leadership appointments. PMSA Managing Director Branislav Bibic says that “A smoke-free future is attainable, and the benefits it can bring to the adult smokers who would otherwise continue to smoke, and hence to global public health, are enormous.” “PMI’s vision
Countries with relatively small economic bases can generally point to their anchor institutions—including the manufacturing and extractive industries, or large private sector employers—as major contributors to their growth. In Zambia, mining operations anchor the economy, but another significant home-grown entity has grown to become a renowned brand that is creating its own economic impact across
First RocoMamas Drive Thru launched Spur Corporation just launched its first RocoMamas Drive Thru in Little Falls, Johannesburg. This follows the successful launch of its first Spur Drive Thru in 2021. This is another step in the group’s strategy of expanding convenient and lucrative channels to meet customer requirements for their favourite meals through easy
The Engen Community Computer School held an awards ceremony recently to celebrate its latest graduates, all unemployed South Durban residents whose prospects of finding employment have been positively enhanced after receiving valuable basic computer skills training. The Engen sponsored school has been transforming lives in South Durban for 13 years and has to date capped
Supa Ginja, a powder ginger beer business started in a North West garage, experienced dramatic growth during South Africa’s national lockdown with several alcohol bans as well as a deal with Shoprite. The product is a traditional ready mixed ginger beer powder that, when combined with water and allowed to ferment, turns into a unique
Virgin Active South Africa Group (Pty) Ltd And Kauai Juice (Pty) Ltd, Kauai Smart Meals (Pty) Ltd and Nu Health Café (Pty) Ltd The Tribunal has unconditionally approved the large merger between Virgin Active South Africa Group (“VASAG”) and Kauai Juice (Pty) Ltd (“Kauai Juice”), Kauai Smart Meals (Pty) Ltd (“Kauai Smart Meals”) and Nu Health
The Board of GS1 South Africa, trading as the Consumer Goods Council of South Africa (CGCSA), is pleased to announce the appointment of Zinhle Tyikwe as Chief Executive Officer with effect from 01 July 2022. Ms Tyikwe, who currently is the CGCSA Executive in charge of Human Resources and Communications, takes over from Gwarega Mangozhe,
One of the best kept secrets for South Africans over the age of 60 is that they can claim a discount at Makro stores every day of the week, and not only on a specific day – an offering that has been in place since the onset of COVID-19. “While we decided to make this
As part of the ongoing evolution of its offering in line with customer demand, MACmobile has delivered significant enhancements to the FIELDForce web and mobile applications with its latest update. These include security improvements as well as the inclusion of an Invoice Value Discount Engine and a Buy One, Get One Free (BOGOF) Engine. FIELDForce
As Central Province Minister hails retail giant’s contribution to agro-sector value addition citing positive impact on economic recovery Zambeef’s move to expand the variety of locally manufactured products in its remodelled outlets is further proof of the company’s unwavering commitment to growing Zambia’s agricultural value chain says Central Province Minister Hon. Credo Nanjuwa. The home-grown
Spur Corporation welcomes government’s announcement on repealing COVID-19 regulations from 22 June 2022. This means that after two years and almost three months, we can finally remove masks! Based on the updated Government Gazette, we have issued the following guidance to our staff and franchisees. Offices Sanitiser stations will remain at the entrance for our
The Shoprite Group has launched Shoprite Next Capital, a business division dedicated to capacitate and grow commercially-viable SMMEs to further the Group’s continued efforts to give small suppliers access to its consumer market. As drivers of growth, job creation and innovation, SMMEs are crucial to the recovery of the South African economy, and Shoprite Next
Engen’ enduring promise ‘With us you are Number One” has always placed the customer at the very heart of its business. It is what inspires South Africa’s favourite* petrol station brand to invest great effort into remaining an attractive and convenient destination for motorists and shoppers. This sees Engen continually reinventing the way it does
Leading trade show tackles the challenge of affordable and accessible food in Africa Russia’s war in Ukraine has shone a spotlight on the ongoing food security crisis in Africa, as disruptions to international commodity markets and trade flows to the continent have caused the already high food prices to rise further. The UN predicts African
South Africa’s leading ticketing platform Computicket has launched an innovative new offering called ‘Box Office’ to make its service more accessible and affordable to organisers of smaller events. Ticketing services have traditionally been limited to large event organisers who can afford a comprehensive offering. To solve this challenge, Computicket created Box Office: a new self-service
After Massmart acquired an 87.5% stake in on-demand multi-retailer marketplace, OneCart, in late 2021, the platform has experienced exponential Gross Merchandise Value (GMV) growth of over 200%. The name OneCart derives from the App’s core value proposition which enables customers to access a wide range of products from multiple retailers, in “one cart”. OneCart is
The Shoprite Group has launched Shoprite Next Capital, a business division dedicated to capacitate and grow commercially-viable SMMEs to further the Group’s continued efforts to give small suppliers access to its consumer market. As drivers of growth, job creation and innovation, SMMEs are crucial to the recovery of the South African economy, and Shoprite Next
Township economy a top priority for SA business leaders Celebrating its 28th year of defining trade opportunities within Africa, leading multi-sector trade show SAITEX opened its doors to public and private stakeholders from across the globe at the Gallagher Convention Centre in Johannesburg earlier this week. Co-located with F&B show Africa’s Big 7 and the
Zambeef Products Plc, listed on the Lusaka Securities Exchange (LuSE) and the Alternative Investment Market (AIM) of the London Stock Exchange, has announced a US$100 million expansion plan that will double its crop production while adding associated value and capacity to the company’s stockfeed, meat production and processing facilities and retailing operations. At a board
Zambeef has expressed confidence that government’s pronouncements to improve the agriculture sector in the country will attract more investors and boost the economy. Speaking during a board tour of the company’s operations in Chisamba, Lusaka and Mpongwe, Zambeef Board Chairperson Michael Mundashi said the agriculture sector was a major driver of economic growth in Zambia
On the 14th of June 2022, Massmart officially opened its new Distribution Centre, in Riversands, Johannesburg. This 75 000m2 warehouse is the second of three new facilities in Massmart’s new centralized network which uses shared distribution centres to serve stores across the entire group. The new state of the art facility has been custom designed
